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THE  LIBRARIES 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 


TWELVE 
NAVAL    CAPTAINS 

Being  a  Record  of  Certain  Americans  who 
made  themselves  Immortal 


BY 

MOLLY   ELLIOT   SEAWELL 

AUTHOR    OF 

'THE  SPRIGHTLY  ROMANCE  OF  MARSAC,"    "  THE  HISTORY 

OF  THE  LADY  BETTY  STAIR,"    "CHILDREN  OF 

DESTINY,"     "THROCKMORTON," 

"little  JARVIS,"    ETC. 


WirU   PORTRAITS 


NEW    YORK 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1897 


Copyright,  1897, 
By  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 


Sel 


^Entbersttg  ^vcss : 
John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridge. 


r 


PREFACE 

In  offering  this  book  to  the  youth  of  the  coun- 
try, the  writer  does  not  wish  it  understood  as  a 
comprehensive  record  of  American  naval  captains 
from  1776  to  1815.  It  is  merely  a  selection  of 
twelve  commanders  who  had  great  opportunities, 
and  were  equal  to  those  opportunities,  from  the 
long  list  of  brave  and  deserving  officers,  especially 
during  the  brilliant  period  from  1798  to  1815. 

The  writer  desires  to  express  the  deepest  obli- 
gations to  Cooper's  Naval  History  and  Naval 
Biographies.  If  those  noble  and  beautiful  books 
were  read  at  the  present  day  as  they  deserve  to  be 
read,  there  would  be  little  reason  for  any  modern 
author  writing  upon  the  same  subjects. 

A  faithful  effort  has  been  made  to  copy  Cooper's 
admirable  impartiality.  He  says,  justly,  in  speak- 
ing of  the  captures  on  each  side  made  in  1812-15, 
"  No  vessel  was  unworthily  given  up."  It  is  per- 
haps unfortunate  for  the  good-will  which  should 


PREFACE 

exist  between  kindred  nations,  like  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain,  that  the  naval  and  mil- 
itary glory  of  the  early  years  of  the  republic 
should  have  been  gained  almost  wholly  against 
Great  Britain.  But  an  unprejudiced  view  will 
soon  show  that  much  of  the  fierceness  of  the 
fighting  was  due  to  the  closeness  of  the  tie  of 
blood.  There  was  but  a  slight  foreign  element 
among  the  Americans  who  sustained  themselves 
so  gallantly  from  1776  to  1815 ;  and  this  foreign 
element,  instead  of  modifying  those  Anglo-Saxon 
characteristics  which  are  the  common  heritage 
of  Americans  and  British  alike,  was  brought  into 
subjection  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  standards  of  laws, 
customs,  and  language.  The  Americans  of  Amer- 
ican stock  take  the  liberty  of  believing  and  say- 
ing that  every  generation  nurtured  under  Ameri- 
can institutions  is  a  distinct  advantage;  and 
those  Americans  whose  ancestors  at  their  own 
pleasure  cast  off  the  rule  of  England  have  no 
grudge  against  the  mother  country,  but  rather 
the  utmost  good-will  and  cordial  friendship. 
The  youth  of  the  country  should  realize  that  a 
ceaseless  whine  against  England  is  very  un- 
American.  The  Americans  never  whined.  They 
made  a  stout  protest,  followed  by  a  bold  defiance 


PREFACE 

and   a   great    and   successful   fight,  then    shook 
hands  and  made  it  up. 

The  writer  offers  this  book  with  diffidence, 
but  trusts  that  the  inherent  virtue  in  the  men 
and  events  treated  of  may  make  the  record  of 
interest. 

MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEAWELL. 


CONTENTS 

Page 

PAUL  JONES 1 

RICHARD   DALE 28 

THOMAS   TRUXTUN 42 

WILLIAM   BAINBRIDGE 53 

EDWARD   PREBLE 83 

STEPHEN   DECATUR 102 

RICHARD   SOMERS 130 

ISAAC   HULL 145 

CHARLES   STEWART 167 

OLIVER  HAZARD   PERRY 182 

THOMAS  MACDONOUGH 192 

JAMES  LAWRENCE 208 


LIST  OF  PORTRAITS 

Paul  Jones Frontispiece 

Richard  Dale Facing  page     28 

Thomas  Truxtun "  42 

William  Bainbridge "  53 

Edward  Preble "  83 

Stephen  Decatur "  102 

Richard  Somers "  130 

Isaac  Hull "  145 

Charles  Stewart "  167 

Oliver  Hazard  Perry "  182 

Thomas  Macdonough "  192 

James  Lawrence "  208 


PAUL  JONES 

American  history  presents  no  more  picturesque 
figure  than  Paul  Jones,  and  the  mere  recital  of 
his  life  and  its  incidents  is  a  thrilling  romance. 
A  gardener's  boy,  he  shipped  before  the  mast  at 
twelve  years  of  age,  and  afterward  rose  to  be 
the  ranking  officer  in  the  American  navy.  His 
exploits  by  land  and  sea  in  various  parts  of  the 
world ;  his  intimacy  with  some  of  the  greatest 
men  of  the  age,  and  liis  friendships  with  reigning 
sovereigns  of  Europe ;  his  character,  of  deep  sen- 
timent, united  with  extraordinary  genius  and  ex- 
treme daring,  —  place  him  among  those  historical 
personages  who  are  always  of  enchanting  interest 
to  succeeding  ages.  Paul  Jones  himself  foresaw 
and  gloried  in  this  posthumous  fame,  for,  with 
all  his  great  qualities,  he  had  the  natural  vanity 
which  so  often  accompanies  the  self-made  man. 
He  lacked  the  perfect  self-poise  of  Washington, 
who,  having  done  immortal  things,  blushed  to 
have  them  spoken  of,  and  did  not  deign  to  appeal 
to  posterity.  Paul  Jones  was  continually  appeal- 
ing to  posterity.  But  his  vanity  was  that  of  an 
i  1 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

honest  man,  and  he  was  often  stung  to  assert- 
iveness  by  the  malignities  of  his  enemies.  That 
these  malignities  were  false,  and  that  he  was  a  man 
of  lofty  ideals  and  admirable  character,  is  shown 
by  the  friends  he  made  and  kept.  Dr.  Franklin, 
Thomas  Jefferson,  Robert  Morris,  and  Lafayette 
lived  upon  terms  of  the  greatest  intimacy  with 
him ;  Washington  esteemed  him,  —  and  the  good- 
will of  such  men  places  any  man  in  the  category 
of  the  upright. 

Nothing  in  the  family  and  circumstances  of 
Paul  Jones  indicated  the  distinction  of  his  later 
life.  His  father,  John  Paul,  was  a  gardener,  at 
Arbiglandjin  Kirkcudbrightshire,  Scotland,  where 
Paul  Jones  was  born  in  1747.  He  was  named 
John  Paul,  for  his  father ;  but  upon  his  taking  up 
his  residence  in  Virginia,  in  his  twenty-seventh 
year,  he  added  Jones  to  his  name,  —  for  some  rea- 
son which  is  not  now  and  never  has  been  under- 
stood, —  and  as  Paul  Jones  he  is  known  to  history. 
The  Pauls  were  very  humble  people,  and  Paul 
Jones's  childhood  was  like  the  childhood  of  other 
poor  men's  sons.  Boats  were  his  favorite  and 
only  playthings,  and  he  showed  from  the  begin- 
ning that  he  had  the  spirit  of  command.  He 
organized  his  playfellows  into  companies  of  make- 
believe  sailors,  which  he  drilled  sternly.  The 
tide  rushes  into  the  Solway  Firth  from  tlie  Ger- 
man ocean  so  tremendously  that  it  often  seems 
like  a  tidal  wave,  and  the  boy  Paul  Jones  had 

2 


PAUL  JONES 

sometimes  to  run  for  his  life  when  he  was  wading 
out  commanding  his  miniatui'c  sliii)S  and  crews. 
Ci^se  by  his  father's  cottage  is  the  sheltered  bay 
of  the  Carsethorn,  where,  in  the  old  days,  ships 
for  Dumfries  loaded  and  unloaded.  Deep  water 
is  so  close  to  the  shore  that  as  the  ships  worked 
in  and  out  their  yardarms  seemed  to  be  actually 
passing  among  the  trees  that  cling  stubbornly  to 
the  rocky  shore.  It  was  the  delight  of  the  boy 
Paul  Jones  to  perch  himself  on  the  highest  point 
of  the  promontory,  and  to  screech  out  his  orders  to 
the  incoming  and  outgoing  vessels  ;  and  the  ship- 
masters soon  found  that  this  bold  boy  was  as  good 
as  a  pilot  any  day,  and  if  they  followed  his  direc- 
tions they  would  always  have  water  enough  under 
the  keel. 

The  only  school  which  Paul  Jones  ever  attended 
was  the  parish  school  at  Kirkbean,  and  that  only 
until  he  was  twelve  years  old.  But  it  was  char- 
acteristic of  him,  as  man  and  boy,  to  learn  with 
the  greatest  eagerness  ;  and  the  result  is  shown  in 
his  letters  and  language,  which  are  far  superior  to 
the  average  in  those  days.  The  habit  of  applica- 
tion never  left  him,  and  he  was  a  hard  student  all 
his  life. 

There  were  many  mouths  to  feed  in  the  little 
cottage  at  Arbigland,  and  in  Paul  Jones's  thir- 
teenth year  he  was  bound  apprentice  to  a  ship- 
master. His  first  voyage  was  to  Fredericksburg 
in  Virginia,  where  he  had  a  brother,  William  Paul, 

3 


TWELVE  XAYAL  CAPTAINS 

living,  —  a  respected  citizen.  His  time  ashore  was 
spent  with  this  brother,  and  so  well  did  he  con- 
duct himself  that  when  William  Paul  died  some 
years  later  he  left  his  estate  to  this  favorite 
younger  brother.  There  were,  however,  many 
years  of  toil  before  Paul  Jones,  and  hardships 
and  buffetings,  and  even  injustices  that  sank  deep 
into  his  sensitive  soul.  It  is  said  that  he  was  at 
one  time  on  a  slave-ship,  the  slave-trade  being 
then  legalized  throughout  the  world ;  but,  hating 
the  life,  he  quitted  his  ship,  and  the  traffic  too. 
When  he  was  about  twenty  years  old,  he  found 
himself  without  employment  in  Jamaica.  He 
embarked  as  a  passenger  on  the  John, —  a  fine 
brigantine,  owned  by  a  shipping  firm  in  his  native 
shire.  On  the  voyage  home  both  the  captain  and 
the  first  mate  died  of  yellow  fever.  The  young 
passenger  —  John  Paul,  as  he  was  then  called  — 
took  command  of  the  brigantine,  and  brought  her 
safely  to  her  port.  The  owners  rewarded  him  by 
making  him  captain  and  supercargo  of  the  John. 
This  shows  that  Paul  Jones  was  not  only  a  capa- 
ble seaman,  worthy  of  command  at  twenty  years 
of  age,  but  of  integrity  and  steady  habits  as 
well. 

In  his  twenty-fourth  year  occurred  an  event 
which  gave  him  great  anguish,  and  was  probably 
the  reason  of  his  leaving  his  native  land.  While 
in  command  of  a  vessel  in  Tobago,  he  had  his  car- 
penter. Maxwell,  flogged  for  some  offence.     This 

•i 


PAUL  JONES 

was  the  common  mode  of  punislimcnt  in  those 
days.  Maxwell  com})hiiiied  tu  the  Mce-Admiralty 
Court,  and  tlie  affau*  was  investi<^'ated.  The  Court 
examined  Maxwell,  and  dismissed  his  charges 
against  Paul  Jones,  as  frivolous.  It  is  noted, 
though,  that  Paul  Jones  expressed  sorrow  for 
having  had  the  man  flogged.  Maxwell  shipped 
on  another  vessel,  but  died  a  week  or  two  after- 
ward. This  put  a  much  more  serious  aspect  on 
the  matter.  There  was  some  talk  of  a  prosecu- 
tion for  murder  ;  but  it  was  shown  that  Maxwell's 
death  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  flogging,  and  it 
was  dropped.  Nevertheless,  the  effect  upon  a 
nature,  at  once  arrogant  and  sensitive,  like  Paul 
Jones's,  was  exquisitely  painful.  It  is  likely  that 
this  case  was  the  origin  of  the  one  weak  point  in 
Paul  Jones's  tremendous  naval  genius :  he  was 
never  a  good  disciplinarian,  and  he  seems  always 
to  have  hesitated  too  long  before  administering 
punishments,  and  of  course  severer  punishments 
were  needed  thereby. 

Upon  his  return  to  Scotland,  he  was  coldly  re- 
ceived by  his  friends  and  neighbors.  To  Paul 
Joneses  mind  this  coolness  assumed  the  form  of  a 
persecution.  He  left  his  native  country  with  re- 
sentment in  his  heart  against  it,  although  he  kept 
up  affectionate  relations  with  his  family.  Many 
years  after,  when  he  was  one  of  the  celebrities  of 
his  age,  he  speaks  in  a  letter  of  his  grief  at  learn- 
ing of  his  mother's  death,  especially  as  he  had 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

found  that  several  sums  of  money  which  he  had 
sent  her  had  never  reached  her. 

He  came  to  Yirgmia  in  1773,  and  took  posses- 
sion of  the  property  left  him  by  his  brother,  which 
with  his  own  savings  gave  him  a  competence. 
Little  is  known  of  the  particulars  of  his  life  from 
1778  to  1775  ;  but  late  researches  show  that  his 
friendship  with  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  with  other 
persons  of  prominence  in  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina,  then  began.  Although  his  origin  was 
humble,  his  manners,  tastes,  and  feelings  led  him 
naturally  into  the  most  distinguished  society,  and 
at  a  very  early  period  in  his  career  he  is  found 
associated  with  persons  of  note. 

On  the  first  outbreak  of  hostilities  with  the 
mother  country  Paul  Jones  offered  his  services  to 
the  Continental  Congress,  and  his  name  headed 
the  list  of  thirteen  first  lieutenants  in  the  navy 
appointed  in  December,  1775.  Perhaps  no  man 
had  stronger  natural  and  personal  inclinations 
toward  the  revolutionary  cause  than  Paul  Jones. 
In  his  native  country  he  was  poor,  obscure,  and 
perpetually  barred  out  by  his  low  estate  from 
those  high  places  to  which  his  vast  ambition 
aspired.  In  America,  under  a  republican  form 
of  government,  he  was  as  good  as  any  man,  pro- 
vided only  he  were  worthy  ;  and  the  fixed  rank 
of  a  naval  officer  would  give  him  standing  in 
Europe  among  those  very  persons  who  would 
otherwise  have  regarded  him  with  contempt. 


PAUL  JOXES 

Ilis  commission  was  ()l)(aiiicd  lliroiigli  Mr. 
Joseph  ITcwes.  a  member  of  Congress  from 
North  Carolina,  and  the  celebrated  Robert  Morris, 
who  was  then  at  the  head  of  the  ^Marine  Com- 
mittee of  Congress.  The  influence  of  Thomas 
Jefferson  was  also  in  his  favor. 

At  this  time  his  true  career  may  be  said  to 
have  begun.  He  was  then  twenty-eight  years 
old,  of  "  a  dashing  and  officer-like  appearance," 
his  complexion  dark  and  weather-beaten,  and  his 
black  eyes  stern  and  melancholy  in  expression. 
He  had  a  slight  hesitation  in  his  speech  which 
disappeared  under  the  influence  of  excitement. 
His  manner  with  sailors  was  said  to  be  peculiarly 
winning,  and  he  was,  no  doubt,  highly  successful 
in  dealing  with  those  characters  which  can  be 
gained  by  kindness  and  indulgence  ;  but  with 
that  part  of  mankind  to  whom  severity  is  a  neces- 
sity, he  does  not  seem  to  have  been  so  well 
adapted,  and  the  evidences  of  a  firm  and  consis- 
tent discipline  are  wanting.  When  he  came  to 
command  a  ship  of  his  own,  —  which  he  did  very 
shortly,  —  he  was  extremely  polite  to  the  midship- 
men, frequently  asking  them  to  dine  with  him  in 
the  cabin,  but  Ukely  to  blaze  away  at  them  if  they 
were  not  carefully  and  properly  dressed  for  the 
occasion.  One  of  his  officers,  presuming  upon 
Paul  Jones's  indulgence,  ventured  to  be  insolent, 
and  got  himself  kicked  down  the  hatchway  for  it. 
It  is  said  that  when  a  midshipman  on  the  topgal- 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

lant  yard  was  inattentive  to  his  duty  as  a  lookout, 
Paul  Jones  himself  would  gently  let  go  the  hal- 
yards, and  the  unlucky  midshipman  would  come 
down  the  yard  on  the  run. 

Paul  Jones  was  extremely  temperate  in  his 
habits,  and  was  naturally  fond  of  order  and  deco- 
rum. He  had  fixed  religious  principles,  and,  like 
Washington,  he  considered  a  chaplain  a  useful  and 
even  a  necessary  officer.  A  letter  of  his  is  extant 
in  which  he  says  he  would  like  a  chaplain  on 
board  who  should  be  accommodated  in  the  cabin, 
and  always  have  a  seat  at  the  cabin  table,  "  the 
government  thereof  should  be  entirely  under  his 
direction."  He  was  a  tireless  student  by  night, 
his  days  at  sea  being  occupied,  when  cruising,  by 
exercising  his  officers  and  men  in  their  duty. 

His  first  orders,  as  an  American  naval  officer, 
were  as  flag  lieutenant  on  the  Alfred,  of  twenty- 
four  guns.  Commodore  Hopkins's  flagship.  On 
this  ship  Paul  Jones  claims  to  have  hoisted  with 
his  own  hands  the  original  flag  of  the  Revolu- 
tion —  the  pine-tree  and  rattlesnake  flag  —  the 
first  time  it  was  ever  displayed.  This  may  well 
be  true,  as  such  an  act  is  thoroughly  in  keeping 
with  the  romantic  sentiment  of  Paul  Jones's 
character ;  and  he  says,  "  I  think  I  feel  the  more 
for  its  honour  "  on  account  of  that  circumstance. 

Congress  had  assembled  in  the  Delaware  River 
a  fleet  of  five  small  vessels,  and  it  was  with 
ardent  hopes  that  Paul  Jones  joined  this  little 


PAUL  J  ONES 

squadron.  In  a  very  short  while,  tliough,  he  dis- 
covered that  Commodore  Hopkins  was  very  much 
disinclined  to  "  go  in  harm's  way,"  to  use  one  of 
Paul  Jones's  favorite  expressions,  and  his  wrath 
and  disgust  liamed  out  without  any  concealment. 
The  object  of  the  cruise  was  to  capture  a  lot  of 
stores,  left  unprotected  by  the  British  at  the 
island  of  New  Providence.  By  Commodore  Hop- 
kins's blundering  the  governor  of  the  island  had 
time  to  save  most  of  the  stores.  The  Commodore 
finding  himself  among  the  keys  and  islands  of 
the  Bahamas,  seems  to  have  been  afraid  to  go 
away  and  afraid  to  stay  where  he  was.  Paul 
Jones,  however,  taking  a  pilot  up  to  the  foretop- 
mast  head  with  him,  piloted  the  Alfred  to  a  safe 
anchorage.  To  crown  all,  the  five  vessels  ran 
across  a  little  British  frigate,  the  Glasgow,  off 
Newport,  and  after  a  smart  cannonade  the  Glas- 
gow succeeded  in  slipping  through  Commodore 
Hopkins's  fingers  and  getting  back  to  Newport. 

Paul  Jones's  rage  at  this  was  furious,  and  it 
became  impossible  for  him  to  serve  in  the  same 
ship  with  Commodore  Hopkins,  who  was  shortly 
afterward  censured  by  Congress,  and  within  the 
year  dismissed  from  the  navy.  In  the  summer  of 
1776  Paul  Jones  was  given  the  command  of  a  lit- 
tle sloop,  the  Providence,  mounting  only  twelve 
four-poundei's,  but  a  fairly  smart  and  weatherly 
vessel.  He  improved  her  sailing  qualities  so 
that  she  could  log  it  faster  than  a  great  many 

9 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

better  sliips.     With  this  little  sloop  he  was  em- 
ployed in  conveying  military  stores  from  New  Eng- 
land to  Washington's  army  on  Long  Island ;  and 
as  the  coast  and  the  sounds  swarmed  with  the 
cruisers  of  Lord  Howe's  fleet,  this  was  a  difficult 
and  daring  undertaking.     But  in  difficulty  and 
daring  Paul  Jones  always  shone,  and  he  succeeded 
so  as  to  win  the  admiration  and  personal  regard 
of  Washington,  as  well  as  the  approval  of  Con- 
gress.    In  the  autumn  he  made  a  more  extended 
cruise,  during  which  he  captured  several  valuable 
prizes,  and  showed  his  courage  and  seamanship 
by  manoeuvring  boldly  before  the  Solebay  frigate 
and  then  running  away  from  her.     The  Solebay 
thought  she  had  bagged  the  Providence,  when  the 
little  sloop,  suddenly  weathering  her,  ran  directly 
under  her  broadside,  where  the  guns  could  not 
be  brought  to  bear,  and  went  off  before  the  wind 
while  the  heavy  frigate  was  coming  about.     On 
another  occasion  he  was  chased  by  the  Milford 
frigate.     Finding  the  Providence  was  fast  enough 
to  play  with  the  Milford,  Paul  Jones  kept  just  out 
of  reach  of  the  heavy  cannonade  of  the  Milford ; 
and  every  time  the  frigate  roared  out  her  heavy 
guns,  a  marine,  whom  Paul  Jones  had  stationed 
aft    on   the  Providence,  banged   away  with   his 
musket  in  reply.     This  amused  and  delighted  the 
men,  and  when  Paul  Jones  was  ready   he  ran 
away  from  the  frigate,  leaving  her  still  thunder- 
ing away  in  his  wake.     These  little  events  had  a 

10 


PALL  JONES 

good  effect  on  his  ofTiccrs  and  men,  showing  them 
that  they  had  a  man  of  dash  and  spirit  for  their 
captain.  When  his  cruise  was  up,  he  received 
full  recognition  of  his  services  hy  being  appointed 
to  command  a  splendid  frigate  then  building  in 
Holland  for  the  American  government.  Mean- 
while he  was  ordered  to  take  command  of  the 
Ranger,  a  sloop-of-war,  mounting  eighteen  light 
guns,  then  fitting  for  sea  at  Portsmouth,  New 
Hampshire.  On  the  very  day  he  was  appointed 
to  her,  June  14,  1777,  Congress  adopted  the  stars 
and  stripes  as  the  national  ensign,  and  Paul  Jones 
always  claimed  that  he  was  the  first  man  to  hoist 
the  new  flag  over  a  ship  of  war  when  he  raised  it 
on  the  Ranger  in  Portsmouth  harbor. 

The  Ranger  was  weakly  armed  and  poorly 
fitted.  Her  cabin  furnishings  were  meagre  enough, 
but  there  were  two  bookcases  full  of  books  provided 
by  the  captain.  The  Ranger  sailed  from  Ports- 
mouth in  November,  1777,  and  after  an  unevent- 
ful voyage,  arrived  safely  at  Nantes  in  France  in 
December.  Leaving  his  ship  in  charge  of  the 
first  lieutenant;,  Simpson,  Paul  Jones  started  for 
Paris  to  confer  with  the  three  American  Com- 
missioners, Benjamin  Franklin,  Silas  Deane,  and 
Arthur  Lee.  He  bore  a  letter  to  them  from  the 
Marino  Committee  describino-  him  as  "  an  active 
and  brave  commander  in  our  service."  On  reach- 
ing Paris,  a  sharp  disappointment  awaited  him  con- 
cerning the  Holland  frigate.  Great  Britain,  which 
11 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

was  not  then  at  war  with  either  France  or  Hol- 
land, although  on  the  verge  of  it,  had  made  com- 
plaints about  the  frigate,  and  it  had  been  passed 
over  to  the  French  government  to  prevent  its 
confiscation.  Paul  Jones  had  a  partial  compen- 
sation, however,  in  winning  the  affectionate  re- 
gard of  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  the  friendship 
that  ever  afterward  subsisted  between  the  im- 
petuous and  sentimental  Paul  Jones  and  the 
calm  and  philosophic  Franklin  was  extremely 
beautiful. 

Despairing  of  getting  any  better  ship  than  the 
Eanger,  Paul  Jones  set  himself  to  work  to  im- 
prove her  sailing  qualities ;  it  is  a  striking  fact 
that  he  improved  every  ship  he  commanded,  be- 
fore he  was  through  with  her. 

Being  ready  to  take  the  sea,  he  determined  to 
secure  a  salute  to  his  flag  from  the  splendid  French 
fleet  commanded  by  M.  de  La  Motte  Piquet.  He 
took  the  Banger  to  Quiberon  Bay,  and  at  once  sent 
a  letter  to  the  French  admiral,  announcing  his 
arrival,  and  another  to  the  American  agent  at 
L'Orient.  Paul  Jones's  dealings  with  this  agent 
are  laughable,  as  many  of  his  transactions  were. 
He  began,  as  usual,  with  the  most  formal  polite- 
ness ;  but  as  soon  as  there  was  any  hesitation  shown 
in  complying  with  his  requests,  which  it  cannot  be 
denied  were  perfectly  sensible,  he  would  blaze 
out,  and  carry  his  point  by  the  bayonet,  as  it  were. 
The  agent  did  not  understand  the  importance  of 

12 


PAUL  JONES 

the  salute,  and  although  he  dined  on  hoard  the 
admu'al's  sliip  the  day  the  request  was  made,  he 
failed  to  mention  it  to  the  admiral.  This  infuri- 
ated Paul  Jones,  who  wrote  him  a  letter  in  which 
he  said,  "I  can  show  a  commission  as  respect- 
able as  an}^  the  French  admiral  can  produce," 
and  fmally  declared  that  unless  the  salute  were 
allowed,  he  would  leave  without  entering  the  up- 
per bay  at  all. 

His  determined  attitude  had  its  effect.  The 
French  admiral  agreed  to  salute  the  Ranger,  and 
to  make  sure  that  it  was  done  in  broad  daylight, 
so  there  could  be  no  misunderstanding  about  it, 
Paul  Jones  kept  his  ship  in  the  lower  bay  until 
the  next  day.  The  French  admiral  paid  the 
American  commander  the  compliment  of  having 
the  guns  manned  when  the  Ranger  sailed  through 
the  double  line  of  the  French  fleet,  and  when  the 
French  guns  roared  out  in  honor  of  the  American 
flag,  it  meant  that  France  was  from  that  day 
openly,  as  she  had  been  for  some  time  secretly, 
committed  to  an  alliance  with  the  struggling  colo- 
nies. Seeing  that  nothing  was  to  be  hoped  for  in 
the  way  of  a  better  ship,  Paul  Jones,  like  all  truly 
great  men,  determined  to  do  the  best  he  could  with 
the  means  at  hand.  So,  on  an  April  evening  in 
1777,  he  picked  up  his  anchor  and  steered  the  lit- 
tle Ranger  straight  for  the  narrow  seas  of  Great 
Britain,  the  Mistress  of  the  Seas,  and  the  greatest 
naval  power  on  earth.     The  boldness  of  this  can 

13 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

scarcely  be  overestimated.  The  French  admirals, 
with  fifty-five  ships  of  the  line,  hung  on  to  their 
anchors,  not  caring  to  risk  an  encounter  with  the 
fleets  of  England,  manned  by  her  mighty  captains 
and  heroic  crews ;  but  Paul  Jones,  alone,  in  a 
weak  vessel,  lightly  armed,  took  all  the  chances 
of  destruction,  and  bearded  the  lion  in  his  den. 
He  counted  on  the  slowness  of  communication  in 
those  days,  and  all  of  those  other  circumstances 
in  which  fortune  favors  the  brave,  —  and  the 
result  justified  him. 

He  cruised  about  for  several  days,  burning  and 
destroying  many  merchant  ships.  He  landed  at 
St.  Mary's  Isle,  in  order  to  capture  the  Earl  of 
Selkirk,  but  the  bird  had  flown.  His  men  became 
mutinous,  because,  contrary  to  the  custom  of  the 
time,  they  were  not  allowed  to  loot  the  place. 
Paul  Jones  was  forced  to  allow  them  to  carry  off 
some  silver  plate,  which  he  afterward  redeemed  out 
of  his  own  pocket,  and  returned  to  Lady  Selkirk. 
He  also  landed  at  Whitehaven,  and  fired  the  ship- 
ping in  the  port,  although  he  did  not  succeed  in 
burning  the  vessels.  But  the  desire  of  his  heart 
w^as  to  find  a  ship  of  war,  not  too  strong  for  him, 
with  which  he  might  fight  it  out,  yardarm  to  yard- 
arm.  This  he  found  in  the  Drake,  a  sloop-of-war, 
carrying  twenty  guns,  and  lying  off  Carrickfer- 
gus.  Like  the  Ranger,  she  was  a  weak  ship ;  but 
she  carried  brave  men  and  a  fighting  captain, 
and  when,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  24th  of  April, 

14 


PAUL  JONES 

the  Ranger  appeared  ofL"  Carrickfcrgiis,  Uio  Drake 
promptly  came  out  to  meet  lier.  The  tide  was 
adverse,  and  the  Drake  worked  out  slowly,  but 
her  adversary  gallantly  waited  for  her  in  mid- 
channel,  with  the  American  ensign  at  her  mizzcn 
peak,  and  a  jack  at  the  fore.  The  Drake's  hail, 
"  What  ship  is  that  ?  "  was  answered  by  the  mas- 
ter, under  Paul  Jones's  direction :  "  This  is  the 
American  Continental  ship  Ranger.  We  wait 
for  you  and  beg  you  will  come  on.  The  sun  is 
but  little  more  than  an  hour  high,  and  it  is  time 
to  begin." 

The  Drake  promptly  accepted  this  cool  in- 
vitation, and  the  action  began  with  the  great- 
est spirit.  In  an  hour  and  four  minutes  the 
Drake  struck,  after  a  brave  defence.  She  had 
lost  her  captain  and  first  lieutenant,  and  thirty- 
eight  men  killed  and  wounded,  and  had  made, 
as  Paul  Jones  said,  "  a  good  and  gallant  de- 
fence." The  Ranger  lost  two  men  killed  and 
six  wounded.  On  the  8th  of  May  he  arrived  off 
Brest  in  the  Ranger,  with  the  American  ensign 
hoisted  above  the  union  jack  on  the  Drake.  The 
French  pilots  vied  with  each  other  as  to  which 
should  have  the  honor  of  piloting  the  two  vessels 
through  the  narrow  channel  known  as  Le  Goulet, 
and  there  was  no  question  of  a  salute  then,— 
every  French  ship  in  sight  saluted  the  plucky 
little  American. 

This  daring  expedition  gave  Paul  Jones  a  great 

15 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

reputation  in  France.  The  French  government, 
by  this  time  openly  at  war  with  England,  asked 
that  Paul  Jones  remam  in  Europe  to  command  a 
naval  force  to  be  furnished  by  France ;  and  he  was 
justified  in  expecting  a  splendid  command.  But 
the  maladministration  of  affairs  in  Paris  left  him 
a  whole  year,  idle  and  fretting  and  wretched,  as 
such  bold  spirits  are,  under  hope  deferred,  and 
at  last  he  was  forced  to  put  up  with  an  old  India- 
man,  the  Due  de  Duras,  larger,  but  not  stronger 
than  the  Ranger.  He  changed  the  name  of  this 
old  ship  to  the  Bon  Homme  Richard,  out  of 
compliment  to  Dr.  Franklin,  whose  "  Poor  Rich- 
ard's Almanac"  had  just  then  appeared.  She 
was  the  flagship  of  a  motley  squadron  of  two 
frigates  besides  the  Bon  Homme  Richard;  the 
Alliance,  an  American  frigate  commanded  by  a 
French  captain,  Landais,  who  was  suspected  to 
be  crazy,  and  acted  like  a  madman ;  the  Pallas, 
commanded  by  another  French  captain,  Cottineau, 
a  brave  and  skilful  seaman  ;  and  a  cutter  and  a 
brig,  neither  of  which  was  of  consequence  in  the 
cruise. 

A  number  of  American  prisoners  having  been 
exchanged  and  sent  to  France,  Paul  Jones  was 
enabled  before  he  sailed  to  get  about  thirty 
Americans  for  the  Bon  Homme  Richard.  Every 
officer  on  the  quarterdeck  was  a  native  Ameri- 
can except  Paul  Jones  himself  and  one  midship- 
man ;  and  the  first  lieutenant  was  Richard  Dale, 

16 


PAUL  JONES 

one  of  tlic  most  gallant  seamen  the  American 
navy  ever  produced.  He  had  lately  escaped  from 
Mill  Prison  in  England.  Paul  Jones  justly  ap- 
preciated his  young-  lieutenant,  then  only  twenty- 
three  years  old,  and  the  utmost  confidence  and 
attachment  subsisted  between  them. 

The  crew  was  made  up  of  men  of  all  nation- 
alities, including  a  number  of  Malays,  and  many 
of  the  fok'sle  people  did  not  understand  the  word 
of  command.  With  this  singular  squadron  and 
unpromising  ship  and  crew  Paul  Jones  set  sail 
on  the  15th  of  August,  under  orders  to  report  at 
the  Texel  early  in  October.  Great  things  were 
expected  of  him,  but  agonizing  disappointment 
seemed  to  be  in  store  for  him,  Landais,  the 
captain  of  the  Alliance,  was  mutinous,  and 
the  whole  squadron  seemed  incapable  of  either 
acting  together  or  acting  separately.  Twice 
Paul  Jones  sailed  up  the  Firth  of  Forth  as  far 
as  Leith,  the  port  of  Edinburgh,  and  the  Edin- 
burghers  made  preparations  to  withstand  this 
bold  invader.  Among  the  children  who  lay 
awake  at  night  waiting  for  the  booming  of 
Paul  Jones's  guns,  was  a  lad  of  ten  years  of 
age,  —  Walter  Scott,  who,  when  he  was  the  great 
Sir  Walter,  often  spoke  of  it.  But  both  times 
the  wind  blew  Paul  Jones  out  to  sea  again,  so 
that  nothing  was  done  in  the  way  of  a  descent  on 
Edinburgh.  Many  merchant  ships  were  taken, 
and   the    coasts    of    the    three    kingdoms   were 

2  17 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

alarmed,  but  so  far  no  enemy  in  the  shape  of 
a  warsliip  had  appeared.  The  time  for  the 
cruise  to  be  up  was  fast  approaching,  and  it 
seemed  likel}'  to  end  in  a  manner  crushing  to  the 
hopes  of  Paul  Jones,  when,  at  noon  on  the  23d 
of  September,  1779,  the  Bon  Homme  Richard 
being  off  Flamborough  Head,  a  single  ship  was 
seen  rounding  the  headland.  It  was  the  first  of 
forty  ships  comprising  the  Baltic  fleet  of  mer- 
chantmen, which  Paul  Jones  had  expected  and 
longed  to  intercept.  A  large  black  frigate  and 
a  smaller  vessel  were  convoying  them;  and  as 
soon  as  the  two  warships  had  placed  themselves 
between  the  fleet  and  the  Bon  Homme  Richard, 
all  the  fighting  ships  backed  their  topsails  and 
prepared  for  action. 

At  the  instant  of  seeing  the  two  British  ships, 
Paul  Jones  showed  in  his  air  and  words  the  de- 
light his  warrior's  soul  felt  at  the  approaching 
conflict.  His  oflicers  and  crew  displayed  the  ut- 
most willingness  to  engage,  while  on  board  the 
Serapis  her  company  asked  nothing  but  to  be 
laid  alongside  the  saucy  American. 

The  Serapis  was  a  splendid  new  frigate,  — 
"  the  finest  ship  of  her  class  I  ever  saw,"  Paul 
Jones  afterward  wrote  Dr.  Franklin,  —  and  carried 
fifty  guns.  It  is  estimated  that  her  force,  as 
compared  to  the  poor  old  Bon  Homme  Richard, 
was  as  two  to  one.  She  was  commanded  by 
Captain    Pearson,  a  brave    and   capable  officer. 

18 


PAUL   JONES 

At  one  o'clock  the  drummers  l)cat  to  quarters 
on  both  ships,  but  it  was  really  seven  o'clock 
before  they  got  near  enough  to  begin  the  real 
business  of  fighting.  Much  of  this  time  the 
British  and  Americans  were  cheering  and  jeer- 
ing at  each  other.  The  Serapis  people  pretended 
they  thought  the  Bon  Homme  Richard  was  a  mer- 
chant ship,  which  indeed  she  had  been  before  she 
came  into  Paul  Jones's  hands,  and  derisively 
asked  the  Americans  what  she  was  laden  with  ; 
to  which  the  Americans  promptly  shouted  back, 
"  Round,  grape,  and  double-headed  shot !  " 

At  last,  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the 
cannonade  began.  At  the  second  broadside  two 
of  the  battery  of  eighteen-pounders  on  the  "  Bon 
Homme"  burst,  the  rest  cracked  and  could  not 
be  fired.  These  had  been  the  main  dependence 
for  fighting  the  ship.  Most  of  the  small  guns 
were  dismounted,  and  in  a  little  while  Paul  Jones 
had  only  three  nine-pounders  to  play  against  the 
heavy  broadside  of  the  Serapis.  In  addition 
to  this,  the  shot  from  the  Serapis  had  made 
several  enormous  holes  in  the  crazy  old  hull  of 
the  Bon  Homme  Richard,  and  she  was  leaking 
like  a  sieve,  while  she  was  afire  in  a  dozen  places 
at  once.  The  crews  of  the  exploded  guns  had  no 
guns  to  fight,  but  they  had  to  combat  both  fire 
and  water,  either  of  which  seemed  at  any  moment 
likely  to  destroy  the  leaking  and  burning  ship. 
They  worked  like  heroes,  led  by  the  gallant  Dale, 

19 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

and  encouraged  by  their  intrepid  commander, 
whose  only  comment  on  the  desperate  state  of 
the  ship  was,  ''  Never  mind,  my  lads,  we  shall 
have  a  better  ship  to  go  home  in." 

Below,  more  than  a  hundred  prisoners  were 
ready  to  spring  up,  and  were  only  subdued  by 
Dale's  determined  attitude,  who  forced  them  to 
work  at  the  pumps  for  their  lives.  The  Serapis 
pounded  her  adversary  mercilessly,  and  literally 
tore  the  Bon  Homme  Richard  to  pieces  between 
decks.  Most  captains  in  this  awful  situation  would 
have  hauled  down  the  flag.  Not  so  Paul  Jones. 
Knowing  that  his  only  chance  lay  in  grappling 
with  his  enemy  and  having  it  out  at  close  quar- 
ters, he  managed  to  get  alongside  the  Serapis, 
and  with  his  own  hands  made  fast  his  bowsprit 
to  the  Serapis'  mizzen-mast,  calling  out  cheer- 
fully to  his  men,  "  Now,  my  brave  lads,  we  have 
her!"  Stacy,  his  sailing-master,  while  helping 
him,  bungled  with  the  hawser,  and  an  oath  burst 
from  him.  "  Don't  swear,  Mr.  Stacy,"  quietly  said 
Paul  Jones,  "  in  another  moment  we  may  be  in 
eternity  ;  but  let  us  do  our  duty." 

The  Alliance  lay  off  out  of  gunshot  and  quite 
inactive  most  of  the  time,  but  at  this  point  she 
approached  and  sailed  around  the  two  fighting 
ships,  firing  broadsides  into  her  consort,  which 
did  dreadful  damage.  After  tliis,  her  captain, 
the  crack-brained  and  treacherous  Landais,  made 
off  to  windward  and  was  seen  no  more. 

20 


PAUL  JONES 

The  combat  deepened,  and  apparently  the  Bon 
Homme  Richard  was  destined  to  go  down  fighting. 
At  one  moment  the  two  ships  got  into  a  position 
in  which  neither  could  fire  an  effective  shot.  As 
they  lay,  head  and  stern,  fast  locked  in  a  deadly 
embrace,  and  enveloped  in  smoke  and  darkness  as 
they  repeatedly  caught  fire  from  each  other,  a 
terrible  stillness  fell  awhile,  until  from  the 
bloody  decks  of  the  Serapis  a  voice  called 
out,  — 

"  Have  you  struck  ?  " 

To  this  Paul  Jones  gave  back  the  immortal 
answer,  which  will  ever  mark  him  among  the 
bravest  of  the  brave, — 

"  We  have  not  yet  begun  to  fight !  " 
Soon  the  conflict  was  renewed.  The  Serapis' 
heavy  guns  poured  into  and  through  the  Bon 
Homme  Richard's  hull,  but  the  topmen  on  the 
American  ship  kept  up  such  a  hurricane  of  de- 
struction on  the  Serapis'  spar  deck,  that  Cap- 
tain Pearson  ordered  every  man  below,  while 
himself  bravely  remaining.  A  topman  on  the 
Bon  Homme  Richard,  taking  a  bucket  of  hand 
grenades,  lay  out  on  the  main  yard,  which  was 
directly  over  the  main  hatcli  of  the  Serapis,  and, 
coolly  fastening  his  bucket  to  the  sheet  block,  be- 
gan to  throw  his  grenades  down  the  hatchway. 
Almost  the  first  one  rolled  down  the  hatch  to  the 
gun-deck,  where  it  ignited  a  row  of  cartridges 
left  exposed  by  the  carelessness  of  the  powder 

21 


TWELVE   XAVAL   CAPTAINS 

boys.  In  an  instant  came  an  explosion  which 
seemed  to  shake  the  heavens  and  the  ocean. 

This  was  the  turning-point.  The  men  in  the 
Bon  Homme  Richard's  tops  climbed  into  those  of 
the  Serapis,  the  yards  of  the  two  ships  being  in- 
terlocked, and  swept  her  decks  with  fire  and  shot. 
Dazed  by  the  explosion,  and  helpless  against  the 
American  sharpshooters,  the  courageous  men  on 
the  Serapis  saw  themselves  conquered,  and  Cap- 
tain Pearson  himself  lowered  the  flag  which  had 
been  nailed  to  the  mast.  Lieutenant  Dale,  swing- 
ing himself  on  board  the  Serapis'  deck,  received 
the  captain's  surrender ;  and  thus  ended  one  of  the 
greatest  single  ship  fights  on  record.  The  slaugh- 
ter on  both  ships  was  fearful,  and  the  Serapis' 
mainmast  went  by  the  board  just  as  she  was  given 
up.  But  the  poor  Bon  Homme  Richard  was  past 
help,  and  next  morning  she  was  abandoned.  At 
ten  o'clock  she  was  seen  to  be  sinking.  She  gave 
a  lurch  forward  and  went  down,  the  last  seen  of 
her  being  an  American  flag  left  flying  by  Paul 
Jones's  orders  at  her  mizzen  peak,  as  she  settled 
into  her  ocean  grave. 

The  Pallas,  under  Captain  Cottineau,  had  cap- 
tured the  Countess  of  Scarborough,  whicli  made  a 
brave  defence,  and,  in  company  with  the  Serapis, 
sailed  for  the  port  of  the  Texel,  which  they 
reached  in  safety.  England  scarcely  felt  the  loss 
of  one  frigate  and  a  sloop  from  her  tremendous 
fleets,  but  the  wound  to  the  pride  of  a  great  and 

22 


VAXJL  JONKS 

noble  nation  was  scvci'c.  She  caused  tlio  Dutch 
government  to  insist  that  Paul  Jones  should 
immediately  leave  the  Texel.  This  he  refused 
to  do,  as  it  was  a  neutral  port,  and  he  had  a  right 
to  remain  a  reasonable  time.  The  Dutch  govern- 
ment then  threatened  to  drive  him  out,  and  had 
thirteen  double-decked  frigates  to  enforce  this 
throat,  while  twelve  English  ships  cruised  outside 
waiting  for  him.  But  Paul  Jones  kept  his  flag 
flying  in  the  face  of  these  twenty-five  hostile  ships, 
and  firmly  refused  to  leave  until  he  was  ready. 
Through  some  complication  with  the  French 
government,  he  had  the  alternative  forced  upon 
him  of  hoisting  a  French  flag  on  the  Serapis,  or 
taking  the  inferior  Alliance  under  the  American 
flag.  Bitter  as  it  was  to  give  up  the  splendid 
Serapis,  he  nobly  preferred  the  weaker  ship, 
under  the  American  flag,  and  in  the  Alliance, 
in  the  midst  of  a  roaring  gale  on  a  black  De- 
cember night,  he  escaped  from  the  Texel,  "  with 
my  best  American  ensign  flying,"  as  he  wrote  Dr. 
Franklin. 

The  British  government  offered  ten  thousand 
guineas  for  him,  dead  or  alive,  and  forty-two 
British  ships  of  the  line  and  frigates  scoured  the 
seas  for  him.  Yet  he  escaped  from  them  all, 
passed  within  sight  of  the  fleets  at  Spithead, 
ran  through  the  English  Channel,  and  reached 
France  in  safety.  He  went  to  Paris,  where  he 
was  praised,  admired,  petted  by  the  court,  and 

23 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

especially  honored  by  royalty.  The  King,  Louis 
XYL,  gave  him  a  magnificent  sword,  while  the 
Queen,  the  lovely  and  unfortunate  Marie  An- 
toinette, invited  him  in  her  box  at  the  opera, 
and  treated  him  with  charming  affability.  The 
first  time  he  went  to  the  theatre  in  Paris,  he 
found  a  laurel  wreath  suspended  over  his  seat. 
He  rose  quietly  and  moved  away,  —  an  act  of 
modesty  which  was  much  applauded  by  all. 

Captain  Pearson,  on  his  return  to  England, 
received  honors  that  caused  many  persons  to 
smile,  although  he  had  undoubtedly  defended 
his  ship  very  determinedly.  He  was  made  a 
knight.  When  Paul  Jones  heard  of  this,  he  re- 
marked :  "  Well,  he  has  deserved  it ;  and  if  I 
have  the  good  fortune  to  fall  in  with  him  again, 
I  will  make  him  a  lord." 

Compliments  were  plenty  for  Paul  Jones,  too ; 
but  no  ship  was  forthcoming  for  him  worthy  of 
his  fame,  and  at  last,  in  1780,  he  was  forced  to 
return  to  America  in  the  Ariel,  a  lightly  armed 
vessel,  carrying  stores  for  Washington's  army. 

His  services  were  fully  appreciated  in  the 
United  States.  General  Washington  wrote  him 
a  letter  of  congratulation  ;  Congress  passed  a 
resolution  of  thanks  in  his  honor,  and  gave  him 
a  gold  medal ;  and  the  French  king  made  him  a 
Knight  of  the  Order  of  Military  Merit.  The 
poverty  of  his  country  prevented  him  from  getting 
a  ship  immediately,  and  the  virtual  end  of   the 

24 


PAUL  JOXES 

war  ill  1781  gave  him  no  further  opportunity  of 
naval  distinction. 

He  was  employed  in  serving  tlie  naval  interests 
of  the  conntry  on  this  side  of  the  ocean  until  1787, 
when  lie  went  to  Europe  on  a  mission  for  the 
government.  While  there,  he  had  brilliant  offers 
made  him  to  enter  the  service  of  the  Empress 
Catherine  of  Russia,  and  to  take  charge  of  naval 
operations  against  the  Turks.  The  nature  of 
Paul  Jones  was  such  that  any  enterprise  of  adven- 
turous daring  was  irresistibly  attractive  to  him. 
At  that  time  his  firm  friend  Thomas  Jefferson 
was  minister  to  France,  and  he  advised  Paul 
Jones  to  accept  the  offer.  This  he  did,  relying, 
as  he  said,  on  Mr.  Jefferson  to  justify  him  in  so 
doing,  and  retaining  his  American  citizenship. 
He  had  an  adventurous  journey  to  Russia,  stop- 
ping for  a  while  on  public  business  at  Copenhagen, 
where  he  was  much  caressed  by  the  King,  Queen, 
and  Court.  He  resumed  his  route  by  sea,  and  at 
one  time  in  a  small  boat  in  the  Baltic  Sea  he 
forced  the  sailors  to  proceed  at  the  point  of  his 
pistol,  when  their  hearts  failed  them  and  they 
wished  to  turn  back. 

His  connection  with  the  Russian  navy  proved 
deeply  unfortunate.  He  had  to  deal  with  per- 
sons of  small  sense  of  honor,  who  cared  little  for 
the  principles  of  generous  and  civilized  warfare. 
He  was  maligned  and  abused,  and  although  he 
succeeded  in  clearing  himself,  he  left  Russia  with 

25 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

disappointment  and  disgust.  His  health  had  be- 
gun to  fail,  and  the  last  two  years  of  his  life,  from 
1790  to  1792,  were  spent  in  Paris,  where  he  was 
often  ill,  and  more  often  in  great  distress  of  mind 
over  the  terrible  scenes  then  occurring  in  France. 
He  did  not  forget  that  the  King  and  Queen  had 
been  his  friends,  and  showed  them  attentions 
when  it  was  extremely  dangerous  to  do  so.  La- 
fayette, who  had  long  been  his  devoted  friend, 
soothed  his  last  days  *  and  Gouverneur  Morris, 
then  minister  to  France,  paid  him  many  kind 
attentions.  He  made  his  will,  naming  Robert 
Morris  as  his  executor,  and  then  faced  death 
with  the  same  cool  courage  as  upon  the 
bloody  and  burning  deck  of  the  Bon  Homme 
Richard. 

In  the  evening  of  the  18th  of  July,  1792,  after 
calmly  making  his  preparation,  the  end  came. 
The  National  Assembly  of  France  paid  honor  to 
his  remains,  and  in  the  United  States  the  news  of 
his  death  was  received  with  profound  sorrow. 
Some  years  after,  the  Congress  sent  the  St.  Law- 
rence frigate  to  Europe,  to  bring  back  the  body  of 
Paul  Jones  to  the  United  States  ;  but  it  was  found 
that,  according  to  the  French  custom,  it  had  been 
destroyed  by  quicklime  long  before. 

Few  men  have  been  more  warmly  attacked  and 
defended  than  Paul  Jones ;  but  in  the  light  of  his- 
tory and  of  research  it  is  altogether  certain  that 
he  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  genius  and  courage, 

26 


PAUL  JONES 

of  noble  aspirations,  and  sinccroly  devoted  to 
his  adopted  country;  and  at  ail  times  and  places 
lie  made  p;ood  his  proud  declaration:  "1  have 
ever  looked  out  for  the  honor  of  the  American 
flag." 

The  eulogy  passed  upon  him  by  Benjamin 
Franklin  was  brief,  but  it  embodied  many  vol- 
umes of  praise.  It  was  this  :  "  For  Captain  Paul 
Jones  ever  loved  close  fighting." 


27 


EICHARD   DALE 

If  an  example  were  needed  of  the  superiority 
of  character  and  courage  over  intellect,  no  more 
fitting  person  could  be  named  than  Commodore 
Richard  Dale, —  "that  truth-telling  and  truth- 
loving  officer,"  as  Fenimore  Cooper  calls  him. 
Nothing  is  more  beautiful  than  the  reverence 
which  Cooper,  a  man  of  real  genius,  had  for 
Richard  Dale,  whose  talents,  though  good,  were 
not  brilliant ;  and  in  this  Cooper  shows  to  lesser 
minds  that  intellect  should  ever  pay  tribute  to 
character.  Dale  had  nothing  more  than  good, 
sound  sense,  but  by  the  courage  and  constancy  of 
his  nature,  by  his  justice,  gentleness,  and  probity, 
he  attained  a  standing  of  which  a  great  intellect 
might  have  been  proud.  He  was  Paul  Jones's 
first  lieutenant  during  two  years  of  daring  adven- 
ture, and,  like  Cooper,  Paul  Jones,  the  man  of 
genius,  loved  and  admired  Dale,  the  man  of  ex- 
cellence. The  affection  between  the  two  was  deep, 
and  in  Dale's  old  age  he  spoke  of  his  old  com- 
mander, then  no  more,  affectionately  as  "  Paul," 
—  a  strong  testimony  in  the  great  captain's  favor. 

Dale  was  born  near  Norfolk,  in  Virginia,  in 
1756.     His  parents  were  respectable  persons,  but 

28 


RICHARD  DALE 

not  very  avcU  oft',  and  Dale  ajipcars  to  liavc  had 
but  few  advantages  of  education  in  his  boyliood. 
lie  was,  by  nature,  a  daring  and  reckless  speller, 
and  the  ingenuity  and  simplicity  with  which  he 
could  twist  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  into  forms 
never  before  seen,  was  truly  comical.  In  a  letter 
to  Paul  Jones,  describing  some  work  he  was  do- 
mg  on  the  bowsprit,  he  says,  "  the  boulsprit  was 
something  Dificoult  in  Giting  out."  But  no  doubt 
the  bowsprit  was  smartly  handled,  and  got  out  all 
right.  And  when  "tow  frcnch  voluntairs"  de- 
serted, Dale  says  he  "  made  haist "  to  send  the 
"  golly-boat "  after  them,  and  certainly  got  them, 
if  it  were  possible  to  do  so.  But  in  spite  of  his 
spelling,  he  was  educated  in  all  the  courtesies  of 
life,  his  manners  were  polished,  his  person  was 
handsome,  and  he  was  a  daring  and  capable  sea- 
man. Paul  Jones  said  he  always  found  Dale 
ready  and  willing  to  execute  the  most  hazardous 
duty ;  and  this  willingness  to  do  his  duty  was  the 
distinguishing  characteristic  of  his  whole  life. 

AVhen  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  he  entered 
the  merchant  service  and  made  a  voyage  with 
an  uncle  of  his,  a  sea-captain.  Then  began  his 
career  of  hard  knocks;  and  few  men  who  sail 
blue  water  ever  had  more.  He  began  by  falling 
down  the  hold  of  his  ship,  and  breaking  most  of 
his  bones  except  those  of  his  back  and  neck  ;  then 
followed  experiences  of  being  knocked  overboard 
and   battling   in  the   sea   an  hour  before    being 

29 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

picked  up ;  of  being  struck  by  lightning  and  re- 
maining unconscious  for  hours.  From  the  time 
he  joined  the  navy  of  the  colonies,  he  never  was 
in  action  without  being  either  wounded  or  cap- 
tured and  sometimes  both.  Three  times  was  he 
badly  wounded,  five  times  was  he  taken  pris- 
oner; yet  he  managed  to  be  in  active  service 
during  a  great  part  of  the  war,  and  at  last  died 
peacefully  in  his  bed,  at  a  good  old  age. 

Almost  as  soon  as  war  was  declared,  Dale,  then 
a  fine  young  fellow  of  nineteen,  enlisted  in  the 
feeble  naval  forces  of  the  colonies  ;  and  the  very 
first  time  he  smelled  powder,  in  1776,  he  was 
captured  by  the  British  and  taken  to  Norfolk. 
There  he  was  put  on  board  a  prison  ship,  where 
he  found  among  the  officers  an  old  friend  of  his, 
a  young  Virginian,  Bridges  Gutteridge.  Gut- 
teridge  was  a  royalist,  and,  being  a  plausible 
fellow,  he  used  his  friendship  with  Dale  to  per- 
suade him  that  he  was  wrong  in  being  in  rebel- 
lion. Dale,  who  was  young  and  inexperienced, 
was  beguiled  by  his  friend  into  turning  royalist 
too,  and  actually  enlisted  upon  a  small  British 
vessel.  The  first  action  in  which  he  was  engaged 
—  a  fight  with  American  pilot  boats  —  Dale  met 
his  usual  fate,  and  was  severely  wounded.  He 
was  carried  back  to  Norfolk,  and  in  the  long  days 
of  illness  and  convalescence  he  began  to  see  his 
conduct  in  its  true  light,  and  bitterly  repented 
of  having  fought  against  his  country.     He  went 

30 


RICHARD   DALE 

to  W(3rk  upon  liis  rriciid  (Juttcridg'Cjand  succeeded 
ill  converting  liini,  after  once  having  l)een  con- 
verted by  him,  into  a  })atriot.  Dale  then  quietly 
bided  his  time  to  get  back  into  the  American 
navy,  and,  as  he  said,  "  I  made  up  my  mind  if  I 
got  into  the  way  of  bullets  it  should  never  again 
be  the  bullets  of  my  own  country." 

It  is  indicative  of  the  simple  honesty  of  the 
man,  that  he  never  attempted  to  belittle  or  dis- 
guise this  early  lapse  of  his,  and  always  expressed 
the  deepest  sorrow  for  it,  alleging  what  a  nature 
less  fine  would  never  have  admitted,  "  I  knew  no 
better  at  the  time." 

As  soon  as  he  was  recovered,  he  managed  to 
get  aboard  a  merchant  ship ;  to  go  to  sea  was 
the  first  step  toward  returning  to  the  continental 
navy,  which  was  the  desire  of  his  heart.  He 
was  captured  as  usual.  But  this  time  it  was 
just  the  very  sort  of  a  capture  that  Dale  desired, 
his  ship  being  taken  by  the  Lexington,  a  smart 
little  cruiser  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Barry,  a  brave  officer,  with  whom  Dale's  life 
was  afterward  much  connected.  Dale  lost  not  a 
moment  in  enlisting  as  midshipman  on  the  Lex- 
ington, and  the  first  time  she  backed  her  topsails 
at  a  British  vessel  she  was  captured,  and  Dale 
was  a  prisoner  for  the  third  time. 

An  officer  and  a  prize  crew  were  thrown  on  the 
Lexington,  and  her  captor,  the  Pearl,  frigate, 
directed  the  prize  to  follow  her.      In  the  night 

31 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

the  Americans  rose  on  their  captors,  and  retook 
the  brig,  carrying  her  into  Baltimore.  Soon 
after  that.  Dale  was  exchanged,  and  in  January, 
1777,  he  fomid  himself  again  on  the  Lexington, 
as  master's  mate.  In  March,  the  brig  sailed  for 
France, under  Captain  Henry  Johnson,  and  cruised 
boldly  in  European  waters. 

One  night,  in  September,  1777,  Captain  John- 
son found  himself  close  under  the  quarter  of  a 
well-armed  British  cutter.  The  two  gallant  lit- 
tle vessels  opened  fire  with  great  spirit,  and  the 
Americans  were  getting  decidedly  the  better  of 
it,  when  their  shot  gave  out.  Dale  and  the  other 
officers  collected  every  scrap  of  iron  about  the 
ship  that  could  be  found  or  wrenched  from  its 
place  to  fire  in  the  place  of  shot,  but  the  un- 
equal fight  could  not  last  long  ;  the  brig  was 
given  up  after  several  of  her  officers  and  men 
had  been  killed,  and  Dale  was  a  prisoner  for  the 
fourth  time  before  he  was  twenty-one  years  old. 

In  most  of  these  revolutionary  encounters  the 
ships  engaged  Avere  of  trifling  force,  but  the 
attack  and  defence  were  gallant  and  spirited  in 
the  highest  degree,  by  both  the  Americans  and 
the  British,  and  no  ship  was  given  away  on  either 
side. 

The  Lexington's  officers  and  men  were  carried 
to  England  and  thrown  into  Mill  Prison,  where 
they  underwent  the  agonies  of  famine  and  priva- 
tion.    Dale  always  spoke  of  those  dreadful  days 

32 


RICHARD   DALE 

with  horror,  and  told  of  being  driven  by  hunger 
to  kill  a  stray  dog,  which  he,  with  the  other 
prisoners,  cooked  and  ate. 

The  story  of   their  sufferings  got  aljroad  and 
excited  the  indignation  of  many  persons  in  Eng- 
land,  who   were   jealous    of    the    honor   of  their 
country.      They  raised   sixteen  thousand  pounds 
for  American  prisoners  in  England,  and  relieved 
all    their   material    wants.      But  the   Americans 
longed   for   liberty,  and  Dale   and  a  few  others 
determined  to  have  it.    They  found  a  place  under 
the  prison  walls  through  which  a  hole  could  be 
dug,  and  they  began  the  almost  impossible  task 
of   scooping  out   enough  earth  that  they  might 
crawl   through   to   the   other   side.     They  could 
work  only  while   exercising  in  the  prison  yard, 
and  had  to  put  the  dirt  in  their  pockets  as  they 
scooped  it  up.     Nevertheless,  after   working  for 
weeks  at  it,  on  a  dark  night  in  February,  1778, 
Captain  Johnson,  Dale,  and  several  of  the  Lex- 
ington's crew  crawled  through,  and  found  them- 
selves free   at  last  of  the  prison  walls. 

It  is  strange  that  men  who  could  accomplish 
this  should  have  been  so  unwise  as  to  stay  to- 
gether, but  for  a  week  the  whole  party  wandered 
about  the  country  at  night,  half  starved  and  half 
clothed,  in  the  worst  of  wintry  weather.  At  last 
they  concluded  to  separate,  and  Dale  and  a  young 
midshipman  cast  their  lots  together.  Their  char- 
acter was  soon  suspected  by  people  they  asked  for 

3  33 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

food  and  shelter,  and  pursuers  were  put  upon 
them.  They  doubled  on  their  tracks  and  got  to 
London.  They  were  still  hunted  for,  and  the 
house  in  which  they  were  concealed  was  raided. 
Dale  and  his  friend  escaped  into  a  shed  close  by, 
and  lay  concealed  under  straw  for  hours,  until 
the  pursuing  party  had  left.  They  then  slipped 
down  to  the  docks,  and  were  entered  as  hands  on 
a  vessel  for  Scotland.  But  Dale's  usual  ill-fortune 
followed  him.  The  British  navy,  wanting  able 
seamen,  sent  a  press  gang  to  the  Scotch  vessel, 
and  Dale  and  his  friend,  unluckily  attracting 
notice  by  their  stalwart  appearance,  were  im- 
pressed. In  a  little  Avhile  they  were  found  out 
to  be  American  officers,  and  were  sent  back  to 
Mill  Prison.  Forty  days  in  the  black  hole  of  the 
prison  followed.  When  this  was  over,  Dale 
earned  another  forty  days  in  it  by  singing  rebel 
songs.  He  continued  to  sing  his  songs,  though, 
while  in  the  black  hole.  After  a  whole  year  in 
prison  he  made  his  escape  under  circumstances 
which  he  never  revealed  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
except  that  he  had  on  a  complete  suit  of  British 
uniform.  How  he  got  it  remains  a  mystery,  and 
from  that  day  until  his  death,  forty-seven  years 
afterward.  Dale  kept  the  dangerous  secret  of  the 
person  who  risked  so  much  for  him.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  he  was  provided  liberally  with  money, 
and  even  with  a  passport,  for  he  got  out  of 
England  quickly  and  went  to  France.     Here,  at 

34 


lllCIIAKl)    DALK 

L'On'cnt,  he  found  Paul  Jones,  llicn  littini'-  out 
tlic  Bon  llomnie  Richard,  in  whicli  holh  llic  com- 
mander and  Dale  were  to  win  immortality. 

Dale  was  then  an  active,  handsome  young 
fellow  of  twenty-tliree,  and  had  seen  more  hard 
service  than  many  ofiicers  of  the  highest  rank. 
At  the  first  glance  Paul  Jones  saw  his  steadiness, 
coolness,  and  splendid  qualities  as  a  sea  officer, 
and  soon  made  him  first  lieutenant  on  the  Bon 
Ilomme  Richard.  A  deep  attachment  sprang 
np  between  these  two  kindred  souls,  and  it  is 
enough  for  Dale's  reputation  to  know  that  he 
"was  a  man  after  Paul  Jones's  own  heart. 

In  the  summer  of  1779  the  Bon  Ilomme 
Richard,  old,  crazy,  and  weakly  armed,  but 
carrying  as  much  valor  as  any  ship  afloat,  started 
upon  her  daring  cruise  in  the  narrow  seas  of 
Great  Britain.  Every  day  showed  Paul  Jones 
more  and  more  the  admirable  character  of  his 
young  first  lieutenant,  and  in  all  the  hazardous 
enterprises  of  that  bold  cruise  Dale  was  the 
man  who  was  always  Paul  Jones's  right  arm  of 
strength.  On  the  23d  of  September,  1779,  was 
fought  the  celebrated  battle  between  the  Bon 
Homme  Richard  and  the  Serapis.  Dale  was 
not  only  the  first,  but  the  only  sea  lientenant  on 
board,  and  proved  himself  altogether  worthy  to 
serve  nnder  the  great  captain  who  took  the 
Sei-apis.  He  commanded  the  main  deck,  and, 
although  his  wretched  and  defective  guns  soon 

35 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

became  disabled,  his  activity  did  not  cease  for  a 
moment. 

At  the  most  critical  stages  of  the  battle,  when 
the  leaking,  burning,  and  helpless  Bon  Homme 
Richard  seemed  in  extremity,  the  master-at-arms 
let  loose  more  tlian  a  hundred  prisoners,  who 
came  crowding  up  into  the  magazine  passage. 
Dale,  running  below,  with  his  pistol  cocked,  faced 
the  mob,  and,  under  Paul  Jones's  orders,  set  them 
to  work  at  the  pumps.  He  then  returned  to  the 
deck,  and  so  carried  away  was  he  with  the  ardor 
of  battle  that  when,  with  his  invariable  fortune,  a 
shot  struck  him  in  the  leg,  he  was  quite  uncon- 
scious of  it.  As  soon  as  Captain  Pearson  hauled 
down  his  flag.  Dale  claimed  his  right  to  go  aboard 
the  Serapis  and  receive  her  surrender.  The 
mainyard  of  the  Serapis  hung  cock-a-bill  over 
the  Bon  Homme  Richard's  poop.  A  line  hung 
from  the  torn  rigging,  and  Dale,  seizing  it,  swung 
himself  over,  and  landed  alone  on  the  Serapis' 
deck.  The  Serapis'  officers  and  people  did  not 
all  know  the  colors  had  been  struck,  and  there 
was  some  fighting  on  the  deck  afterward.  The 
Serapis'  first  lieutenant  ran  up  just  as  Captain 
Pearson  surrendered,  and  cried  out,  "  Has  she 
struck  ? "  meaning  the  Bon  Homme  Richard. 
Captain  Pearson  remained  silent,  and  Dale  re- 
plied, "  No,  sir,  the  Serapis  has  struck." 

Tlie  lieutenant,  ignoring  Dale,  repeated  his 
question   to   the   captain,  who  shook   his    head. 


RICHARD  DALE 

The  lieutenant  after  a  moment  asked  that  he 
might  go  below  and  stop  the  firing  tliat  liad 
not  altogether  ceased;  but  Dale,  who  was  not 
taking  any  chances  of  losing  the  ship,  politely 
refused,  and  at  once  passed  the  captain  and 
his  first  lieutenant  aboard  the  Bon  Ilomme 
Richard. 

As  soon  as  the  Americans  had  possession  of 
the  Serapis,  Dale  sat  down  on  the  binnacle, 
overcome  with  exhaustion,  after  nearly  ten  hours 
of  manoeuvring  and  fighting,  two  hours  of  the 
time  the  ships  having  been  lashed  together.  He 
gave  an  order,  and,  rising  to  see  it  executed, 
measured  his  length  on  the  deck.  Then  foi-  the 
first  time  he  knew  that  he  was  wounded.  He 
managed  to  keep  the  deck,  however,  and  his 
wound  proved  to  be  trifling. 

In  all  the  accounts  of  the  compliments  show- 
ered upon  Paul  Jones  and  his  officers  at  the 
Texel  and  afterward  at  Paris,  Dale  seems  to  have 
kept  modestly  in  the  background.  His  worth, 
however,  was  not  overlooked,  and  his  testimony 
that  Captain  Landais  of  the  Alliance  had  acted 
treacherously  toward  the  Bon  Homme  Richard 
during  the  fight  with  the  Serapis  was  of  weight 
in  securing  Landais'  dishonorable  discharge  from 
the  continental  navy. 

While  Paul  Jones  was  enjoying  the  charms 
and  splendors  of  Paris,  Dale,  who  had  little 
taste  for   such   things,  was  ''keeping  ship"  so 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAIXS 

well  that  the  captain's  absence  was  not  felt. 
Like  Paul  Jones,  he  ardently  longed  to  put  to 
sea  in  a  fine  ship ;  but  both  were  doomed  to 
disappointment  when  the  Ariel  was  the  best  to 
be  had.  In  her  he  sailed,  with  Paul  Jones,  for 
America,  in  1781.  Off  the  French  coast  they 
met  with  a  storm  so  terrific  that  Dale  always 
declared  he  considered  they  were  in  more  dan- 
ger than  at  any  time  during  the  fight  wdth  the 
Serapis.  In  speaking  of  Paul  Jones's  coolness 
in  such  desperate  straits,  when  every  moment 
they  seemed  about  to  go  to  the  bottom.  Dale  said : 
"Never  saw  I  such  coolness  in  such  dreadful  cir- 
cumstances as  I  saw  in  Paul  Jones  then."  To 
the  amazement  of  all,  they  escaped  with  their 
lives,  although  the  Ariel  was  so  crippled  that 
they  had  to  return  to  port,  and  it  was  many 
weeks  before  they  could  sail  again. 

On  reaching  America,  Paul  Jones  desired  Dale 
to  accompany  him  to  Portsmouth,  New  Hamp- 
shire, where  the  government  directed  him  to  su- 
perintend the  building  of  a  fine  frigate  then  on 
the  stocks.  But  Dale  preferred  active  service, 
and  joined  the  Trumbull  frigate,  going  through 
with  his  usual  experience,  a  hot  fight  with  a  Brit- 
ish ship  and  a  severe  wound.  This  time  he  varied 
the  performance  by  being  captured  for  the  fifth 
time.  He  was  soon  exchanged,  however,  and  the 
war  ended  shortly  after. 

The  navy  of  the  United  States  ceased  practi- 

38 


RICHARD  DALE 

cally  to  exist  at  the  close  oi'  tlie  "Revolution,  and 
Dale  went  into  the  China  trade,  lie  made  a 
modest  fortune,  came  ashore,  and  married  a  Ijeau- 
tiful  girl,  the  ward  of  his  old  commander  Captain 
Barry.  In  1704  the  navy  was  reorganized,  and 
Dale  was  the  first  captain  who  got  afloat  under 
the  United  States  flag.  He  made  several  cruises, 
and  in  1801  was  made  commodore  of  a  fine 
squadron  sent  to  the  Mediterranean.  His  flag- 
ship was  the  President,  and  it  was  a  sad  coin- 
cidence that  upon  this  very  ship,  in  the  war  of 
1812,  his  son,  a  gallant  young  midshipman,  re- 
ceived his  death  wound. 

The  fine  appearance  of  the  American  ships  and 
the  smartness  of  their  officers  and  crews  were 
generally  admired,  and  Dale  himself  made  friends 
and  admirers  by  his  manly  and  modest  bearing. 
He  spelled  no  better  than  ever,  but  his  seaman- 
ship was  beyond  reproach.  Once,  on  coming  out 
of  Port  Mahon,  the  President  struck  upon  a 
rock,  and  was  in  imminent  danger  of  pounding 
herself  to  death.  Commodore  Dale  was  below 
when  she  struck.  He  instantly  came  on  deck, 
assumed  command,  and  by  his  coolness,  nerve, 
and  judgment,  saved  the  ship.  He  had  her  tem- 
porarily repaired,  under  his  own  directions,  at 
Port  Mahon,  but  went  to  Toulon  to  have  her  put 
in  dry  dock.  When  the  water  was  pumped  out, 
and  her  hull  exposed,  the  French  naval  oflficers 
were  lost  in  admiration  at  the  ingenious  way  in 

39 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

which,  with  crude  appliances  and  materials,  Dale 
had  contrived  to  repair  the  damage. 

The  great  Nelson,  wliile  observing  the  manoeu- 
vring of  this  fine  squadron  under  Commodore  Dale, 
remarked  :  "  Those  American  ships  can,  if  they 
wish,  make  trouble  for  the  British  navy." 

Dale  returned  home,  expecting  to  spend  the  rest 
of  his  active  life  in  the  navy.  But  in  those  days 
it  seems  to  have  been  a  common  practice  to  treat 
the  most  distinguished  and  deserving  officers  with- 
out the  least  consideration  of  their  rights  or  feel- 
ings. This  happened  to  Commodore  Dale.  An 
affront  being  offered  him  by  the  head  of  the  navy, 
he  promptly  resigned.  He  had  two  gallant  sons 
who  remained  in  the  navy,  however ;  and  one  of 
these,  his  namesake,  lost  his  life  while  gallantly 
fighting  in  the  war  of  1812.  Dale  retired  to 
Philadelphia,  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  days  in 
honorable  retirement.  His  old  friend  Captain 
Barry  had  come  into  possession  of  the  splendid 
gold  sword  given  Paul  Jones  by  the  King  of 
France,  and  which  Paul  Jones's  relatives  had 
given  to  Robert  Morris,  and  from  him  Captain 
Barry  got  it.  On  Captain  Barry's  death  he  left 
this  sword,  most  worthily  and  appropriately,  to 
Dale,  the  great  captain's  first  lieutenant. 

Dale  never  lost  his  interest  in  sailors  and  all 
who  live  by  the  sea.  He  was  a  deeply  religious 
man,  and  organized  a  mariners'  church,  which  he 
urged  all  sailors  to  attend.     Every  Sunday  after- 

40 


RIClIAUl)    DALE 

noon  for  thirty  yciirs  lio  wont  to  lliis  liiimblo  little 
chapel,  and,  besides  joinin<^  in  the  serviee,  would 
go  about  among  the  sailors  who  were  present, 
gently  inquiring  into  their  wants,  and  never  fail- 
ing to  do  a  kindness  for  them  when  possible.  It 
is  said  that  no  man  was  ever  heard  to  speak  a 
word  against  him.  PIo  died  peacefully,  after  a 
shiH't  illness,  in  1826.  The  United  States  named 
for  him  a  fine  sloop  of  war,  which,  like  Dale  him- 
self, saw  much  service  and  had  many  vicissitudes. 
She  is  still  in  existence,  and  when,  a  few  yeai's 
ago,  her  timbers  were  examined,  they  were  found 
as  sound  and  whole,  in  spite  of  all  her  years  of 
service,  as  they  ought  to  be  in  a  ship  named 
for  a  man  like  Richard  Dale.  In  her  main 
gangway  a  memorial  plate  is  placed,  recalling 
Commodore  Dale's  services  in  the  fight  between 
the  Bon  Homme  Richard  and  the  Serapis,  and 
quoting  the  never-to-be-forgotten  words  of  Paul 
Jones,  when  he  was  asked,  in  his  almost  help- 
less ship,  if  he  had  struck,  —  "1  have  not  yet 
begun  to  fight." 


41 


THOMAS  TRUXTUN 

In  the  old  days  tlie  American  sailors  were  great 
singers,  and  naval  songs,  rude  in  construction 
but  vivid  with  patriotic  fire,  were  immensely  pop- 
ular. When  they  were  trolled  forth  on  the  fok'sle, 
nearly  every  sailor  could  join  in,  and  the  effect 
was  as  inspiring  as  Dibdin's  songs  were  to  the 
British  navy  about  the  same  time.  Among  the 
first  and  favorite  of  these  songs  was  "  Truxtun's 
Victory,"  beginning,  — 

"  Come,  all  ye  Yankee  sailors,  with  swords  and  pikes  ad- 
vance ; 
'T  is  time    to    try  your  corn-age    and  humble  haughty 
France." 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  poetic  license  regard- 
ing facts  as  well  as  forms,  and  the  poet,  in  describ- 
ing Truxtun's  victory  on  L'Insurgente,  a  crack 
French  frigate,  represents 

"  The  blood  did  from  their  scuppers  run ; 
Theu'  captain  cried,  '  I  am  undone  ! '  " 

Instead  of  crying  that  he  was  undone,  the  French 
captain  made  a  gallant  defence ;  and  if  his  metal 

42 


^R^^r/^smttiticn    of  (fir'  Mrdal   fjttjttntrti  ^f  the   f'ryfr'f  State*   to 

THOMAS'  TJiirXTUM  JSSifUIJiK.  and  a  c»pv trT^  Ai«„liuji,n 
o." C(!tiarcs.r      r/u    hut-,  "  curie  is  (Jif    Ohx-nw  fuie   of  thr  SMal . 


.^^^^^^6 


Jtatolved,  ^,  fiif  iJW«£^  ana.  houm  v/  Ji^v  r'^niaju-at,  oftht  riiitai  Statu  I'fAmerien  ui    Cnnj/rrtj  .tftrmhlrj. 
That  At  iV.-tt.-imtjflhn  t^ied  stater.  Jte  r^t>*fai  topttrautt  ecftUan  Tlumiat  Tmu'tim.  a  PMti  iffJal. 
anhleji,iliettl  .'/"  At  lm/»  aebe^.  ie6f*in  tke   i/tuAtd  Stniu  J^lfale   CeruUUation  <>/•  ffurfv  tii/ht  <»t"«.  <md  ,  * 
Iht  frrru-h    Shif»  of  »cr£.tL.  Vtt^DOna.  offi/fy  ikuf  Ctav.    xh  ttietanatur  ef'tAt  hi,th  *riut  nttrrtnint<r    '/  ! 

Cfm/rfM  ot'fu'i  CaUatiiry  ani  pooel   etmtltu^  in   the  aiiotr  tngagtnunt.  whoriyt    an   cfimplr  no*  t-xhihi- 
tid  ^  Iht    I'n/ffw'n    OtTitav,  «<nU>rt  and  M'vintf.  MoTionraiU    to  iht  Amrritixr,    nunir   mhI   uittntetii-r 
to  iu  rtfuifi  Mi'^^. 

Attd  it  it  flirtfttr  JiMolfed,  that  tht  (vnJtiet  of  Jamt*  Jiu-rj*  it  idi>ifhip7ncm  ot  *aid'  ^ 
fy^ftte.  who  Olo  »<»i*rA-  prefirrd  crrinin  deadi  to  tui  nhnnJonrntnt  ofhi.y  /■<•»('.  in  dr^rrtiiiif  of  tht  hiakrtt  ' 
prtiur.  ti/td  that  tJtt  lott  t*f  to  prvrnijfuip   it'i   /"'/Wivy-  ts  tr    *uh/rrt  ft*  nati*'tutl  ryrrt . 

TTieodttr^e     Stdoifirfc, 
y/rr.ikr  of  iht  hnitt   i<f  J<ifirrrni/.i.'  ■  «• 
JViot/iijt   Jffftrfon. 
Iht     VntUj  Shxlt4'  -.i/xV  iT*tiM  t  rft/if 
John     A.litinx 


:\iki> 


AWAi;i)F.I> 


'!"ii(>MAs    'ri;r\ri'X 


THOMAS  TRUXTUN 

had  been  heavier,  it  might  have  been  "  Barrcault's 
Victory,"  instead  of  "  Truxtun's  Victory." 

Thomas  Truxtun  was  born  in  New  York  in 
1755,  but,  losing  his  father  early,  was  taken  to 
Jamaica  by  a  relative  and  brought  up.  He  had 
but  little  chance  of  a  school  education,  and  went 
to  sea  early.  He  was  but  twenty  years  old  when 
the  Revolution  broke  out,  and  was  then  in  com- 
mand of  a  merchant  vessel.  Unfortunately  it 
cannot  be  recounted  that  Truxtun  entered  the 
American  navy  then.  Instead  he  chose  serving 
in  a  privateer.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that 
the  whole  naval  force  of  the  colonics  was  very 
feeble,  and  so  slight  w^as  the  expectation  that  it 
could  prevail  against  the  mighty  fleets  of  Eng- 
land that  only  a  few  small  ships  w^ere  officered, 
and  there  was  no  more  room  for  would-be  officers. 
Truxtun,  however,  did  excellent  service  in  priva- 
teers,—  usually  not  very  honorable  ships  in  them- 
selves, as  they  prey  only  on  the  commerce  of  an 
enemy ;  yet  in  the  Revolution  many  privatcei's 
boldly  engaged  with  armed  ships.  Naturally  the 
naval  men  held  privateers  in  contempt,  and  a  let- 
ter of  the  great  Paul  Jones  is  extant  which  shows 
that  he  and  young  Captain  Truxtun  had  a  sharp 
quarrel  over  the  rights  of  privateers.  Congress 
had  passed  an  act  forbidding  a  privateer  to  hoist 
a  pennant  in  the  presence  of  a  naval  ship,  with- 
out first  getting  the  consent  of  the  naval  ship's 
commander.     Truxtun,  an  impetuous  young  man 

43 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

of  twenty-five,  in  command  of  the  ship  Inde- 
pendence from  Philadelphia,  arrived  at  L'Orient 
in  France  in  1780.  At  the  same  time  the  Ariel, 
under  command  of  Paul  Jones,  was  lying  in  the 
port.  What  followed  Paul  Jones  himself  describes 
in  a  letter  addressed  to  "  Mr.  Thomas  Truxtun, 
master  of  the  ship  Independence." 

"  You  passed,  some  time  ago,  with  the  merchant 
ship  called  the  Independence  belonging  to  Philadel- 
phia, close  under  the  stern  of  the  continental  ship 
Ariel,  under  my  command  in  the  Eoad  of  Groix; 
and  you  then  showed  no  mark  of  respect  to  the  Con- 
tinental flag  of  commission,  but  went  on  with  a  long 
Pendant  flying,  and  without  lowering  any  sail  or 
colour,  or  crew  showing  any  mark  of  politeness.  In 
the  port  of  L'Orient  you  were  not  satisfied  with  a 
long  Pendant,  but  you  hoisted  a  kind  of  Broad  one ; 
and  until  yesterday  you  have  worn  it  at  your  moor- 
ings in  presence  of  the  Continental  ship  Ariel. 
This  was  flying  in  the  Face  of  a  positive  resolution 
of  Congress.  When  your  vessel  was  yesterday 
under  sail,  she  was  steered  in  my  presence  very 
near  the  Ariel  in  passing  down  to  Port  Louis.  I 
then  sent  a  Boat  with  an  ofiicer  to  request  yourself 
or  your  representative  to  take  down  the  Pendant. 
The  officer  returned  and  reported  to  me  that  my 
boat's  crew  had  been  menaced  by  your  people,  and 
that  your  mate  said  he  had  Orders  to  treat  me  with 
Contempt,  and  disobey  any  order  or  request  to  haul 
down  the  Pendant.  When  I  found  this,  I  sent 
Lieut.  Dale  back  with  two  Boats  armed,  and  with 

44 


THOMAS  TRUXTUN 

another  polite  message,  and  such  orders  as  I  will 

answer  for  having  given.     The  Pendant  was  then 

hauled  Down  as  he  approached.     I  cannot  answer 

your  letter  of  this  date  more  particularly,  as  there 

are  in  it  several  words  that  I  do  not  understand  and 

cannot  find  in  the  dictionary.       I  shall  receive  no 

more  letters  from  you  on  the  subject.     It  is  not  me 

you  have  offended.     You  have  offended  the  United 

States  of  America.     I  am,   sir,  your   most  humble 

servant, 

"J.  Paul  Joxes." 

By  this  letter  it  will  be  seen  that  Captain 
Truxtun,  like  Richard  Dale,  w^as  better  at  fight- 
ing than  writing ;  and  it  will  also  be  noted  that 
when  Paul  Jones's  blood  was  up,  he  sent  Dale  to 
call  Captain  Truxtun  to  account,  and  as  soon  as 
Dale  took  the  matter  in  hand,  "  the  Pendant  was 
then  hauled  down." 

Truxtun  had  an  adventurous  time  of  it  during 
the  Revolution,  and  made  a  name  for  himself  as  a 
man  of  enterprise  and  a  fine  seaman.  His  after 
achievements  make  it  a  source  of  keen  regret 
that  such  a  man  should  have  been  engaged  in 
such  a  calling  as  privateering,  when,  like  Paul 
Jones  and  Richard  Dale,  he  might  have  assisted 
his  country  much  better  on  a  regular  ship  of 
war. 

He  remained  in  the  merchant  service  after  the 
war  was  over ;  but  when  the  United  States  began 
to  create  a  navy  in  1784,  Truxtun  was  given  a 

45 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

captain's  commission.  Trouble  had  been  brewing 
with  France  for  some  time,  and  in  1797  the  gov- 
ernment determined  to  build  several  frigates  in 
case  of  war,  and  this  year  saw  the  launching  of 
the  two  noble  ships,  the  Constitution  and  the 
Constellation,  which  were  both  destined  to  win 
immortal  fame.  Truxtun  was  appointed  to  com- 
mand the  Constellation,  and  also  to  superintend 
the  building.  She  was  laid  down  at  Baltimore  in 
the  summer  of  1797,  and  few  ships  ever  took  the 
water  more  quickly  than  the  glorious  Constella- 
tion. She  had  a  very  remarkable  launch  on  the 
7th  of  September,  1797.  Nearly  all  her  guns  and 
stores  were  on  board,  and  seven  days  after  she 
kissed  the  water  she  was  ready  to  sail.  She 
had  been  coppered  in  ten  hours.  The  Constella- 
tion was  a  beautiful  frigate,  very  fast  and  weath- 
erly,  and  carrying  thirty-eight  guns.  She  was 
finely  officered  and  manned,  and  Captain  Truxtun 
sailed  on  his  first  cruise  with  every  advantage  in 
his  favor,  —  a  ship  that  could  both  fight  and  run, 
and  a  company  worthy  of  the  ship.  He  cruised 
for  some  time  without  meeting  w^ith  any  extraor- 
dinary adventures  ;  but  the  next  year  four  other 
smaller  vessels  were  put  under  his  command,  and 
the  squadron  went  to  the  West  Indies.  This  was 
directly  in  harm's  way,  as  the  West  India  islands 
were  full  of  French  ships  of  war,  and  France  and 
the  United  States  were  on  the  eve  of  a  quasi-war, 
so  that  Captain  Truxtun  sailed  with  the  hope  of 

46 


THOMAS   TRUXTUN 

getting  a  whack  at  a  Frenchman,  and  tliis  came 
about  in  February,  1799.     As  the  old  song  has  it, 

"  'Twas  in  the  month  of  February,  off  Montserrat  we  lay, 
When  there  we  spied  the  Insurgente  —  " 

This  was  considered  to  be  the  fastest  frigate  in 
the  world,  and  was  commanded  Ijy  a  crack  French 
captain,  Barreault.  She  carried  forty  twelve- 
pounders  in  her  batteries,  and  the  Constellation 
carried  thirty-eight  twenty-four  pounders,  making 
the  Constellation  much  the  stronger  ship ;  yet 
Captain  Truxtun  showed,  in  the  fight  which  fol- 
lowed, that  he  could  have  whipped  a  heavier  ship 
than  L'Insurgente,  which  made  a  very  smart  fight 
too.  Captain  Barreault  knew  that  the  Constella- 
tion was  the  heavier,  but  he  did  not  on  that  account 
refuse  the  battle,  but  showed  a  manly  willingness 
to  fight. 

The  Constellation  sighted  L'Insurgente  in  the 
forenoon  of  February  9,  1799,  and  immediately 
made  for  her.  As  soon  as  she  got  near  enough, 
the  French  ship  hoisted  American  colors,  in  or- 
der to  draw  her  on  and  give  the  French  ship 
time  to  find  out  something  about  the  stranger. 
Captain  Truxtun  then  sho\ved  the  private  signal, 
which  Captain  Barreault  was  unable  to  answer. 
L'Insurgente  then  threw  off  every  disguise,  and, 
setting  the  French  ensign,  ran  off  and  fired  a  gun 
to  windward,  which  meant,  in  sailor  language, 
that  he    was    ready   for  a  yardarm   to    yardarm 

47 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

fight.      Captain  Truxtun  set  an  American  ensign 
at  every  masthead  and  came  on,  the  Frenchman 
waiting  on  an  easy  bowline,  for  his  enemy.     The 
Americans,  both  officers  and   men,  showed  the 
most   cheerful    ardor    to    engage,   and    the   two 
ships  went  at  it  with  equal  spirit.     When  within 
hailing  distance  the  Frenchman  hailed;  but  dis- 
regarding this,   Captain  Truxtun  came  on  until 
he  was  abeam  of  his  adversary.      Then  he  let  fly 
his  broadside,  and  the  Frenchman  answered  him 
promptly.     Captain  Truxtun  discovered  that  he 
had  no  fool  to  play  with  in  Captain  Barreault, 
and  for  an  hour  the  Frenchman  gave  the  Con- 
stellation all  she  could  do.      But  by  that   time 
the  superior  metal  of  the  Constellation  began  to 
tell.      The  Frenchman  aimed  at  the  spars  and 
rigging,    and   the    foretopmast    of   the    Constel- 
lation was  badly  wounded.     The   officer   in   the 
foretop  was  Midshipman  David  Porter,  afterward 
the  celebrated  captain,  and,  seeing  that  the  fore- 
topmast  was  likely  to  fall,  with  all  the  men  in 
the   hamper,  he  hailed  the  deck  to   report   the 
damage.     So  furious  was  the  cannonade,  though, 
that  his  voice  could  not  be  heard.     He  therefore 
gave  orders  on  his  own  account  to  cut  away  the 
stoppers  and  lower  the  topsail  yard,  and  by  his 
promptness  the  spar  as  well  as  the  men  in  the  top 
were  saved.     The  Americans  aimed  at  the  hull, 
and  in  an  hour  L'Insurgente  was   riddled  like  a 
sieve.     The  Constellation  then  shot  ahead,  and, 

48 


THOMAS   TRUXTUN 

lulTing  across  the  Freiichmairs  bows,  was  ready 
with  every  gun  to  rake  him,  when  Captain  l^ar- 
reaiilt,  seeing  his  hopeless  condition,  struck  his 
colors. 

The  captured  frigate  was  sent  into  St.  Kitts 
with  only  two  midshipmen.  Porter  and  Rodgcrs, 
and  eleven  men,  to  keep  one  hundred  and  seventy 
three  Frenclimen  below  the  liatches.  This  they 
did,  besides  managing  the  ship  in  a  hard  gale, 
and  took  her  in  triumph  to  St.  Kitts  within  four 
days. 

The  next  year  Captain  Truxtun  had  a  chance 
to  show  what  he  could  do  against  a  stronger  ship 
than  his  own,  and  on  the  1st  of  February,  1800, 
being  off  Guadeloupe,  he  sighted  La  Vengeance, 
one  of  the  great  French  frigates,  mounting  fifty- 
two  guns.  The  Constellation  immediately  set 
her  ensign  and  gave  chase,  but  La  Vengeance, 
having  on  board  a  large  number  of  officers  of 
rank  and  soldiers  which  she  was  carrying  to 
France,  w^ould  rather  not  have  fought,  and  so 
took  to  her  heels.  The  chase  continued  from  the 
morning  of  the  1st  of  February  until  late  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  2d,  and  it  was  eight  o'clock 
at  night  before  they  finally  came  to  close  quarters. 
When  La  Vengeance  found  the  Constellation  was 
bent  on  a  fight,  she  entered  into  it  with  all  the 
bravery  of  the  French  character.  The  officers 
and  soldiers  she  was  carrying  as  passengers  went 
to  quarters  with  the  regular  crew,  and  she  came 

4  49 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

on  in  grand  style,  giving  her  first  broadside  as 
soon  as  the  Constellation  was  within  range. 
Captain  Truxtun,  without  firing  a  gun,  drew 
within  pistol  shot  of  his  enemy,  both  crews  cheer- 
ing as  the  two  gallant  enemies  neared  each  other. 
When  within  pistol  shot,  the  Constellation  barked 
out  every  gun  in  broadside,  and  the  fight  be- 
gan in  good  earnest.  Both  ships  were  running 
free,  and  during  the  whole  fight,  which  lasted 
five  hours,  the  cannonade  continued.  The  crowded 
condition  of  the  Frenchman's  decks  made  the 
slaughter  dreadful,  but  she  did  not  take  her  pun- 
ishment without  giving  it  back  with  spirit.  The 
moon  had  risen  in  tropic  splendor,  and  a  good 
breeze  was  blowing,  so  that  both  ships  could 
manoeuvre,  and  the  bright  light  enabled  them  to 
see  what  they  were  doing.  Toward  midnight, 
though,  it  was  plain  that  the  French  ship  was 
getting  the  worst  of  it.  However,  she  showed  no 
signs  of  surrender,  and  her  guns  that  could  still 
be  worked  pounded  the  mainmast  of  the  Con- 
stellation until  it  was  soon  seen  that  it  must  fall. 
At  this  point  occurred  what  is  probably  the 
noblest  act  of  young  courage  in  all  naval  history. 
The  officer  of  the  maintop  was  a  little  midship- 
man, James  Jarvis,  who  was  only  thirteen  years 
old.  When  it  was  seen  that  nothing  could  save 
the  mainmast,  the  topmen  leaped  and  clam- 
bered down,  and  an  old  sailor  begged  the  little 
midshipman  to   save   himself.      To    this    young 

50 


THOMAS  TKUXTUN 

Jarvis  answered  calmly,  "  As  an  oflicer  I  cannot 
leave  my  station,  and  if  the  mast  goes,  I  must  go 
with  it."  In  a  few  moments  the  great  mast  fell 
with  a  fearful  crash,  and  this  dauntless  boy  came 
down  with  it.  He  was  the  oidy  oflicer  on  the 
Constellation  killed. 

This  accident  rendered  the  Constellation  help- 
less for  a  time,  and  La  Vengeance,  having  still 
spars  enough  left  to  get  away,  made  off,  with- 
out firing  another  gun,  and  was  soon  lost  in  the 
darkness  that  followed  the  setting  of  the  moon. 
Her  loss  of  men  was  frightful,  while  that  of  the 
Constellation  was  comparatively  small. 

When  Captain  Truxtun  reached  home  after 
this  brilliant  engagement,  he  was  received  with 
acclamations.  Congress  gave  him  a  gold  medal 
and  its  thanks,  and  passed  a  solemn  resolution  in 
honor  of  young  Jarvis,  "  who  gloriously  preferred 
certain  death  to  the  abandonment  of  his  post." 
This  is,  perhaps,  an  unprecedented  honor  for  a 
boy  of  thirteen,  but  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the 
little  midshipman,  who  deliberately  gave  his  life 
rather  than  desert  his  post,  well  earned  it. 

The  London  merchants  of  Lloyd's  coffee-house 
sent  Captain  Truxtun  a  splendid  service  of  plate 
worth  six  hundred  guineas,  and  some  years  after- 
ward the  United  States  named  a  smart  sloop  of 
war  after  him,  the  Truxtun.  Captain  Truxtun 
served  but  a  short  while  in  the  navy  after  this. 
In  1802  he  was  ordered,  as  Commodore,  to  com- 

51 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

mancl  a  squadron,  and,  finding  he  was  to  have 
no  captain  on  his  flag-ship,  declined  the  honor. 
His  letter  was  misunderstood  by  the  authorities 
of  the  Navy  Department  to  mean  a  resignation 
from  the  navy,  and  was,  as  such,  accepted. 
Commodore  Truxtun,  too  proud  to  withdraw  it, 
chose  rather  to  withdraw  from  the  navy,  —  a 
course  which  must  ever  be  regretted.  He  chose 
Philadelphia  as  his  home,  and  became  a  promi- 
nent and  important  citizen.  He  was  for  some 
time  Sheriff  of  the  city.  In  1823  his  death 
occurred,  and  he  left  behind  him  an  honorable 
name  as  a  man,  and  a  brilliant  reputation  as  a 
seaman. 


52 


"William    Baixbkidge 


WILLIAM  BAINBRIDGE 

Commodore  Bainbridge  was  born  at  Princeton, 
New  Jersey,  in  1774.  His  family  were  of  good 
standing,  and  willing  as  well  as  able  to  give  the 
boy  a  liberal  education;  but  an  inborn  love  of 
adventure  possessed  him,  and  he  begged  to  be 
allowed  to  go  to  sea.  At  that  time,  1789-90, 
the  navy  of  the  Revolution  had  ceased  to  exist, 
while  the  navy  of  a  later  date  was  not  created, 
and  the  only  way  to  gratify  the  boy  was  to  send 
him  to  sea  in  a  merchant  vessel.  He  first  shipped 
in  his  sixteenth  year,  and  his  good  habits  and 
natural  genius  for  the  sea  gave  him  the  place  of 
first  officer  of  a  ship  when  he  was  eighteen. 
During  a  voyage  to  Holland  a  mutiny  occurred 
on  board  his  vessel,  which  was  quelled  chiefly  by 
the  vigor  and  determination  of  young  Bainbridge. 
The  owners  rewarded  his  services  by  giving  him 
the  command  of  the  ship  when  he  was  barely 
nineteen.  At  this  time  he  was  a  singularly  hand- 
some young  man.  He  was  six  feet  high,  his  figure 
elegant,  and  his  countenance  as  frank  and  open 
as  it  was  comely.  His  manners  were  cordial,  and 
his  disposition  impetuous ;  but  although  he  some- 
times fell  into  hasty  and  passionate  language,  no 

53 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

man  was  more  ready  to  make  amends.  Like  Paul 
Jones,  he  stammered  slightly,  but,  also  like  him, 
he  spoke  smoothly  enough  when  there  was  oc- 
casion for  it,  and  no  one  ever  heard  him  halt  in 
his  speech  when  an  order  aboard  ship  was  to  be 
given. 

Bainbridge  remained  in  command  of  merchant 
ships  until  the  reorganization  of  the  navy  in  1798. 
During  those  years  a  singular  and  unsatisfactory 
state  of  affairs  existed  for  American  ships  on  the 
ocean.  Without  a  single  ship  of  war  to  protect 
them,  they  were  liable  to  be  overhauled  by  British 
warships,  which  claimed  the  right  to  search,  by 
French  warships,  which  practically  fought  and 
captured  them,  while  a  large  trade  with  the  North 
of  Europe  and  the  East  was  harassed  by  the  cor- 
sairs of  the  Barbary  coast.  With  regard  to  these 
last,  a  truly  disgraceful  condition  prevailed.  The 
Dey  of  Algiers  actually  demanded  and  received 
tribute  from  the  United  States  government  for 
not  molesting  its  trading-vessels !  It  is  true  that 
other  nations  of  Europe  submitted  to  the  same 
sort  of  blackmail ;  but  their  reasons,  although  not 
sufficient,  were  better  than  those  of  the  Americans. 
New  in  the  art  of  forming  a  great  republic,  and 
unduly  fearful  of  the  dangers  of  a  fixed  naval 
force  as  well  as  of  a  standing  army,  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  tried  to  do  without 
a  navy ;  but  it  paid  for  its  mistake  many  times 
over,  both  in  national  honor  and  in  money.     The 

54 


WILLIAM   BAINLRIDGE 

European  nations  also  paid  money  to  the  Barbaiy 
pirates,  and  allowed  their  ships  to  be  used  in 
various  ways,  at  the  request  of  these  haughty 
despots ;  but  it  was  with  a  desire  to  secure  their 
political  alliances  in  the  universal  wars  that 
scourged  Europe  at  that  day,  and  not  from  in- 
ability to  protect  their  own  carrying  ships. 

It  may  be  imagined  how  galling  this  was  to 
American  captains,  and  that  they  resisted  when- 
ever there  was  a  chance  of  success.  Young 
Bainbridgc  was  the  last  man  to  submit  to  co- 
ercion when  he  could  help  himself,  and  on  two 
occasions,  while  in  command  of  merchant  vessels, 
showed  the  spirit  that  Avas  in  him.  Once,  when 
commanding  the  Hope,  a  little  vessel  carrying 
only  eleven  men  before  the  mast  and  four  nine- 
pounders,  he  fell  in  with  a  British  privateer, 
carrying  thirty  men  and  eight  guns.  A  sharp 
action  ensued ;  for  privateers  are  not  wont  to 
heed  any  vessel's  rights  when  the  privateer  is  the 
stronger  party,  and  Paul  Jones's  characterization 
of  them  as  "  licensed  robbers  "  is  not  far  wrong. 
The  Hope,  however,  made  a  good  defence,  and 
forced  the  privateer  to  call  for  quarter.  Under 
the  existing  law,  Bainbridge  could  not  claim  her 
as  lawful  prize,  but  was  forced  to  let  her  go, 
shouting  out  to  her  commander  as  they  parted, 
"  Tell  your  employers  if  they  have  occasion  for 
the  Hope,  they  must  send  some  other  man  than 
you  to  get  her ! " 

55 


TWELVE   NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

Another  time,  the  Indefatigable,  frigate,  under 
Sir  Edward  Pellew,  afterward  Lord  Exmouth  and 
the  conqueror  of  Algiers,  sent  a  squad  of  seamen 
on  board  the  Hope,  and  took  out  of  her  a  man 
alleged  to  be  a  British  subject.  Bainbridge  could 
not  resist,  but  he  sent  word  to  Sir  Edward  that 
the  first  British  vessel  of  a  force  the  Hope  could 
cope  with,  a  man  should  be  taken  out  of  her,  as 
sure  as  he  was  alive  and  commanded  the  Hope. 
This  he  did  within  a  week,  and  carried  the  man 
back  to  the  United  States  with  him. 

Things  reached  such  a  pass  in  1798  that  the 
necessity  for  a  navy  became  pressing,  and  steps 
were  promptly  taken  to  organize  and  equip  a 
naval  force.  Bainbridge,  then  twenty-four  years 
old,  was  among  the  first  to  apply  for  a  commis- 
sion, and  he  was  given  that  of  lieutenant  com- 
mandant. He  soon  got  the  command  of  a  little 
cruiser  of  fourteen  guns,  captured  from  the 
French,  and  renamed  the  Eetaliation.  The  ship 
was  ordered  to  the  West  Indies,  to  cruise  in 
company  with  the  Montezuma,  sloop  of  war,  and 
the  Norfolk,  brig.  On  a  November  day  in  1798, 
while  cruising  off  Gaudeloupe,  Bainbridge  found 
himself  too  near  two  French  frigates,  Le  Yo- 
lontier,  forty-four  guns,  and  L'Insurgente,  forty 
guns.^  L'Insurgente  was  a  tremendously  fast 
frigate,  and  soon  overhauled  Bainbridge  and  com- 

1  See  the  biography  of  Commodore  Truxtnn,  wlio  captured 
LTnsurgente. 

56 


WILLIAM   BAINBRIDGE 

pelled  him  to  strike  his  colors.  lie  was  at  once 
taken  on  board  Lc  Yolonticr,  while  L'lnsurgcnte 
proceeded  in  chase  of  the  Montezuma  and  the 
Norfolk.  Captain  St.  Laurent,  of  Le  Volonticr, 
seeing  L'Insurgente  about  to  engage  two  adver- 
saries, and  knowing  her  captain,  Barreault,  to  be 
a  man  brave  to  rashness,  was  disturbed  at  the 
prospect.  He  asked  Bainbridgc,  who  was  on  the 
quarterdeck,  what  the  force  of  the  American 
ships  was.  Bainbridgc  promptly  replied  that  the 
Montezuma  carried  twentj'-eight  long  guns,  and 
the  Norfolk  twenty.  This  was  about  double  their 
real  force.  Captain  St.  Laurent  at  once  signalled 
L'Insurgente  to  return.  Her  captain,  Barreault, 
was  deeply  chagrined,  and  when  he  went  on  board 
Le  Yolontier,  told  Captain  St.  Laurent  that  the 
American  vessels  were  of  trifling  force,  and  he 
could  easily  have  taken  them  both.  Then  Bain- 
bridge's  clever  ruse  was  discovered ;  but  the 
French  officers,  realizing  that  he  had  done  his 
duty  in  trying  to  save  his  country's  ships,  showed 
no  ill-will  toward  him. 

The  Retaliation  was  the  first  and  only  ship 
of  war  captured  by  the  French  during  the  years 
that  war  existed  between  the  United  States  and 
France,  although  it  never  was  declared.  But 
Bainbridge's  reputation  did  not  suffer  by  this, 
as  his  whole  conduct  was  that  of  a  man  of  spirit 
and  capacity.  He  rose  to  the  rank  of  captain 
just  as  he  reached  his  twenty-sixth  birthday  ;  and 

57 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

in  1800  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of 
the  George  Washington,  of  twentj^-eight  guns. 
His  first  duty  was  to  carry  tribute  to  the  Dey  of 
Algiers.  No  more  hateful  service  could  have  been 
devised  for  him,  and  great  blame  rests  upon  the 
men  in  the  government  who  subjected  the  United 
States  to  such  humiliation. 

In  September,  1800,  Bainbridge  reached  Al- 
giers, and  anchored  within  the  mole.  Scarcely 
had  he  landed  the  tribute,  consisting  of  about 
half  a  million  in  money,  —  enough  to  have  built 
a  ship  that  could  have  knocked  the  Dey's  forts 
about  his  ears,  —  when  he  was  asked  to  carry  the 
Dey's  ambassador  to  Constantinople,  along  with 
a  present  to  the  Sultan,  of  slaves,  wild  beasts, 
and  a  large  sum  of  money.  Bainbridge  was 
furious  at  the  demand ;  but  the  Dey  insolently 
told  him  that  he  must  go,  or  the  ship,  which  was 
completely  in  the  Dey's  power,  would  be  taken, 
her  officers  and  crew  sold  into  slavery,  and  war 
made  on  American  trade.  Bainbridge  was  re- 
minded that  British,  French,  and  Spanish  ships 
had  performed  the  same  duty ;  but  no  doubt  Bain- 
bridge realized  that  in  all  those  cases  it  was  done 
from  political  motives,  while  in  his  case  it  was 
done  simply  because  he  could  not  help  himself. 
With  a  very  bad  grace,  he  agreed,  and  the  pres- 
ents and  passengers  were  put  in  the  ship  and  he 
sailed  for  Constantinople  in  October.  Tt  was  a 
cruise  the    officers   of    the    George   Washington 

58 


WILLIAM    ILVIXBRIDGE 

never  liked  to  speak  of;  but  lliere  is  no  doubt 
tliat,  although  it  was  a  time  of  the  utmost  vexa- 
tion and  mortification,  innumerable  amusing  inci- 
dents occurred.  The  Moliannnedans  had  great 
difficulty  in  keeping  their  faces  toward  Mecca 
during  the  frequent  evolutions  of  the  ship,  and 
a  man  had  to  be  stationed  at  the  compass  to  let 
them  know  when  it  was  time  for  them  to  "  go 
about."  This  was  a  standing  cause  of  laughter 
and  gibes  from  the  sailors,  which  naturally  gave 
great  offence  to  the  Mohammedans  ;  and  these 
disagreements,  together  with  a  sliip  full  of  wild 
beasts,  made  it  a  cruise  never  to  be  forgotten. 

Eainbridge  was  very  doubtful  whether  his  vessel 
would  be  allowed  to  pass  the  Dardanelles,  as  the 
American  flag  had  never  been  seen  in  those  seas 
before ;  so  he  concluded  to  get  through  by  his 
wits.  He  approached  with  a  strong  wind,  and 
clewed  up  his  light  sails  as  if  about  to  anchor, 
saluting  meanwhile.  The  salute  was  returned, 
and  under  cover  of  the  smoke  sail  was  quickly 
made  and  the  ship  slipped  past,  out  of  range  of 
shot  from  the  castles.  When  she  reached  Con- 
stantinople, a  boat  was  sent  ashore  to  report  her 
arrival.  The  Turkish  officials  sent  back  word 
that  they  knew  no  such  nation  as  the  United 
States.  They  were  soon  convinced  that  there 
was  such  a  nation,  and  were  well  received.  The 
Sultan's  brother-in-law,  Ca})udan  Pasha,  became 
much  attached  to  Eainbridge,  and  mentioned  that 

59 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

the  Dey  of  Algiers  was  not  in  favour  with  the 
Sublime  Porte.  Bainbridge,  knowing  he  would  re- 
turn to  Algiers,  got  a  letter  from  Capudan  Pasha, 
in  which  the  Dey  was  commanded  to  treat  the 
American  commander  with  the  highest  respect. 
Bainbridge  returned  to  Algiers  in  January,  and 
was  immediately  met  with  another  demand, — 
that  he  take  the  Algerine  ambassador  back  to 
Constantinople.  This  he  firmly  refused,  at  an 
interview  in  which  the  Dey  stormed,  raged,  and 
threatened.  In  the  midst  of  this,  Bainbridge 
calmly  produced  Capudan  Pasha's  letter.  The 
Dey  paused,  grew  pale,  and  trembled,  and  then 
burst  into  profuse  offers  of  assistance,  which 
Bainbridge  coolly  declined,  and  left  the  palace. 

The  next  day,  in  obedience  to  orders  from 
Constantinople,  the  Dey  declared  war  against 
France,  and  notified  all  of  the  French  in  Algiers 
—  fifty-six  men,  women,  and  children — that  unless 
they  left  within  forty-eight  hours,  they  would  be 
sold  into  slavery.  France  was  then  at  war  with 
the  United  States,  but  this  did  not  prevent  Bain- 
bridge from  offering  these  unfortunates  an  asylum 
on  the  George  Washington  at  great  inconvenience 
to  himself,  and  carrying  them  all  to  Spain.  For 
this  humane  act  he  received  the  personal  thanks 
of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  then  First  Consul. 

Bainbridge  returned  to  the  United  States  with 
the  George  Washington,  and  soon  after  got  the 
Essex,  a  thirty-two-gun   frigate  attached  to  the 

60 


WILLIAM   BAINBRIDGE 

squadron  wliicli  was  scut  to  the  Mediterranean 
in  1801,  under  the  command  of  Commodore 
Richard  Dale.  Among  the  lieutenants  of  the 
Essex  was  Ste})hen  Decatur,  afterward  the  cele- 
hrated  Commodore. 

The  ship  arrived  at  Barcelona  in  August,  and 
took  a  berth  in  the  harbor,  close  to  the  Spanish 
guardship.  The  neatness  of  the  Essex  and  the 
seamanlike  appearance  and  conduct  of  her  officers 
and  men  were  so  much  remarked  upon  that  it 
gave  great  offence  to  the  officers  of  the  guardship. 
The  stay  of  the  American  frigate  at  Barcelona 
was  a  long  scene  of  turmoil,  owing  to  collisions 
between  her  junior  officers  and  the  Spanish  mid- 
shipmen. In  one  of  these  Decatur  figured  promi- 
nently. Bainbridge  acted  with  spirit  and  also 
with  judgment,  but  was  glad  to  get  away  from 
such  uncomfortable  quarters. 

By  that  time  Congress  was  beginning  to  wake 
up  to  the  necessity  for  a  more  vigorous  policy  with 
regard  to  the  Barbary  powers,  and  the  squadron 
was  directed  to  protect  American  shipping  by 
force.  The  corsairs  interpreted  this  to  mean 
war,  and  their  aggressions  reached  such  a  pitch, 
after  the  return  of  Dale's  squadron  in  1802,  that 
in  1803  Commodore  Preble  was  sent  out  with  the 
Constitution,  the  Philadelphia,  and  five  smaller 
vessels,  to  reduce  these  piratical  powers.  Bain- 
bridge was  promoted  from  the  command  of  the 
Essex  to  the  Philadelphia,  a  fine  thirty-eight-gun 

Gl 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

frigate,  carrying  a  few  more  than  three  hundred 
men. 

Her  first  lieutenant  was  David  Porter,  wiio, 
as  a  young  midshipman,  had  distinguished  him- 
self in  the  Constellation  under  Captain  Truxtun, 
and  who  was  destined  to  a  highly  honorable  and 
active  career  during  tlie  wliole  time  of  his  service 
in  the  navy. 

The  Philadelphia  arrived  at  Gibraltar  in  Au- 
gust, 1803,  and  the  next  day  began  to  cruise  up 
and  down  the  straits  in  search  of  corsairs.  In  a 
day  or  two  she  fell  in  with  a  Moorish  vessel, 
the  Meshboha,  in  company  with  an  American 
brig  which  had  been  captured,  and  her  company 
taken  aboard  the  Meshboha.  The  Philadelphia 
stood  by,  and  forced  the  Moorish  captain,  Luba- 
rez,  to  send  all  his  prisoners  to  the  Philadelphia, 
and  to  come  aboard  himself.  Bainbridge  invited 
him  into  the  cabin,  and  feeling  sure  that  he  had 
orders  to  capture  American  ships,  directed  him  to 
produce  these  orders.  Lubarez  stoutly  denied 
he  had  any  such  orders. 

"Very  well,"  coolly  responded  Bainbridge, 
taking  out  his  watch.  "  I  am  now  going  on 
deck  for  half  an  hour.  When  I  return,  if  you 
cannot  show  your  orders,  I  will  immediately  hang 
you  at  the  yardarm  for  a  pirate." 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  Bainbridge  re- 
turned. Lubarez  then  sullenly  admitted  he  had 
orders,  but  they  were  inside  his  waistcoat. 

G2 


WILLIAM   BAINBRIDGE 

"Take  off  your  waistcoat,"  said  I>aiiibi'idgc. 

Liibarcz  began  slowly  to  remove  his  waistcoat ; 
but  another  appeared  under  it.  lie  finally  peeled 
off  five  waistcoats,  and  underneath  the  last  one 
were  the  orders.  Bainbridgc  immediately  took 
possession  of  the  Mcshboha  and  her  prize,  and 
carried  them  both  into  Gibraltar. 

In  a  few  days  Commodore  Preble  reached  Gib- 
raltar, and  Bainbridgc  was  sent  to  Tripoli,  with 
orders  to  intercept  and  capture  every  Tripolitan 
vessel  possible.  He  arrived  before  Tripoli,  in  the 
autumn  of  1803,  and  immediately  began  a  vigor- 
ous blockade.  On  the  31st  of  October  he  gave 
chase  to  a  xebec  trying  to  get  into  the  harbor. 
He  was  rapidly  overhauling  her,  when,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor,  the  water  suddenly  shoaled, 
and  the  Philadelphia  ran  upon  a  tremendous  reef, 
known  to  the  Tripolitans,  but  not  down  on  any 
chart. 

At  once  every  effort  was  made  to  get  the  ship 
off,  but  she  held  fast,  and  soon  heeled  over  so  far 
to  starboard  that  her  guns  on  that  side  became 
useless.  The  Tripolitans  at  once  saw  her  desper- 
ate plight,  and  gunboats  came  out  in  swarms  to 
attack  her.  The  Americans  fought  the  gun- 
boats off  as  best  they  could,  meanwhile  working 
with  amazing  energy  to  save  the  ship.  All  the 
water  in  her  was  pumped  out,  the  anchors  were 
cut  from  the  bows,  most  of  her  guns  thrown  over- 
board, and  at  last  the  foremast  was  cut  away. 

03 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

Still  the  ship  stuck  fast.  Bainbridge,  who  had 
shown  great  coolness  and  determination  in  the 
dreadful  circumstances  in  which  he  found  himself, 
presently  saw  that  he  must  give  up  the  ship.  He 
called  a  council  of  his  officers,  and  they  agreed 
that  all  had  been  done  that  men  could  do.  The 
carpenters  were  ordered  to  scuttle  the  ship ;  and 
just  as  the  autumn  night  was  closing  in,  the 
Philadelphia's  colors  were  hauled  down,  and 
the  Tripolitans  swarmed  over  the  decks,  in  the 
ports,  and  everywhere  a  foot  could  be  set.  Then 
looting  began ;  the  officers  being  robbed  of  every- 
thing, even  their  swords  and  epaulets.  Bain- 
bridge gave  up  his  watch  and  money  in  dignified 
silence  ;  but  when  his  wife's  picture  was  about  to 
be  torn  from  around  his  neck,  he  swore  no  man 
should  have  it,  and  fought  the  Tripolitan  off  who 
would  have  taken  it. 

The  officers  and  men  were  then  carried  into 
the  town,  where  the  officers  were  received  by  the 
Bashaw  in  great  state,  surrounded  by  his  minis- 
ters. It  is  said  that  Bainbridge  never  looked 
handsomer  or  more  imposing  than  when  he  ap- 
peared at  the  head  of  his  officers  before  the 
barbaric  pi'ince.  The  Bashaw  treated  them  with 
Eastern  courtesy,  gave  them  a  handsome  supper, 
for  they  were  half  dead  with  hunger  and  fatigue, 
and  then  sent  them  to  a  temporary  prison.  They 
were  in  charge  of  Sidi  Mohammed  D'Ghies,  one 
of  the  great  officers  of  state,  who  proved  to  be  a 

G4 


WILLIAM   BAINBRIDGE 

mail  of  g'ood  licari,  and  wlioso  idens  of  military 
honor  were  Westci'ii  rather  tliaii  I^aslern. 

Then  beg'an  a  captivity  which  lasted  for  nine- 
teen months.  The  men  were  reduced  to  a  posi- 
tion of  slavery,  and  made  to  ^vork  for  their 
Tripolitan  masters.  The  officers  were  closely 
confined,  and  after  several  attempts  at  escape 
had  been  made  by  the  younger  ones,  they  were 
removed  to  the  dungeons  of  the  Bashaw's  castle. 

The  situation  of  Bainbridge  was  sad  in  the 
extreme,  lie  felt  himself  to  be  foredoomed  to 
misfortune.  He  had  lost  his  first  ship,  the  Re- 
taliation, in  the  French  w^ar.  His  cruise  in  the 
George  Washington  had  been  painful  and  hu- 
miliating in  many  respects;  and  now  he  had 
lost  one  of  the  two  frigates  that  the  country 
depended  upon  to  punish  the  corsairs.  A  very 
affecting  letter  of  his  to  his  wife  exists,  in  wdiich 
he  seems  plunged  into  despair ;  and  in  it  he  says 
he  sometimes  thinks  "  it  would  have  been  a  mer- 
ciful dispensation  of  Providence  if  my  head  had 
been  shot  off  while  our  vessel  lay  rolling  upon 
the  rocks."  But  from  this  sharp  affliction  his 
gallant  spirit  rallied  after  a  time.  His  officers 
and  men  felt  undiminished  confidence  in  and 
affection  for  him,  and  did  all  in  their  power 
to  comfort  him. 

The  very  day  after  their  capture  they  sent  him 
a  letter  saying,  "  We,  late  officers  of  the  United 
States  frigate   Philadelphia,  wishing  to  express 

5  65 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

our  full  approbation  of  your  conduct  concerning 
the  unfortunate  event  of  yesterday,  do  conceive 
that  the  charts  and  soundings  justified  as  near  an 
approach  to  the  shore  as  we  made,  and  that  after 
she  struck  every  expedient  was  used  to  get  her 
off  and  to  defend  her  which  courage  and  abilities 
could  dictate. 

"We  wash  to  add  that  in  this  instance  as  in 
every  other,  since  we  have  had  the  honor  of  being 
under  your  command,  the  officers  and  seamen 
have  always  appreciated  your  distinguished  con- 
duct. Believe  us,  sir,  that  our  misfortunes  and 
sorrows  are  entirely  absorbed  in  our  sympathy 
for  you.  We  are,  sir,  with  sentiments  of  the 
highest  and  most  sincere  respect,  your  friends 
and  fellow  sufferers." 

Here  follow  the  signatures  of  every  officer 
under  Bainbridge. 

He  soon  received  letters  from  Commodore 
Preble ;  and  the  brotherly  kindness  expressed 
in  them  reflects  the  greatest  honor  upon  a  supe- 
rior officer  who  could  feel  so  generously  in  an 
affair  which  crippled  and  embarrassed  him  so 
cruelly  as  the  loss  of  the  Philadelphia.  Preble 
wrote :  "  May  God  bless  and  preserve  you !  Rec- 
ollect that  destiny,  not  want  of  courage,  has  de- 
prived you  of  liberty,  hut  not  of  Jionor.^^  And  he 
adds,  "  The  first  consul  of  France,  the  celebrated 
Bonaparte,  has  interested  himself  deeply  in  your 
situation." 

66 


WILLIAM   BAIXBIIIDGE 

To  tlie  olia,a:rin  of  the  Americans,  they  found 
that  the  Phihulcli)hia  had  not  been  thorou.i-hly 
scuttled,  and  she  was  liauled  oU'  the  rocks  by  the 
Tripolitans,  the  holes  in  her  bottom  stopped,  lier 
foremast  refitted,  her  guns  and  anchors  fished  up, 
and  she  was  towed  within  the  harbor.  From  the 
one  window  of  their  underground  prison,  the  un- 
fortunate officers  of  the  Philadelphia  could  see  the 
ship  riding  at  anchor,  and  disgraced  by  the  pirate 
flag  of  Tripoli. 

The  captives  were  allowed  to  communicate  at 
intervals  with  Commodore  Preble,  who  gave  them 
assurance  that  they  were  not  forgotten,  and  that 
the  Bashaw  would  have  to  surrender  them  and 
pay  dearly  for  having  imprisoned  them.  Besides 
these  official  communications,  means  were  found 
by  which  letters  written  in  lemon  juice  were 
exchanged,  and  in  one  of  these  Bainbridge  sug- 
gested the  possibility  of  destroying  the  Philadel- 
phia at  her  moorings,  —  which  was  afterward 
carried  out  with  splendid  dash  by  Decatur. 

In  spite  of  those  alleviations,  there  were  long 
months  of  weariness  and  dreariness  in  a  pecu- 
liarly trying  captivity.  The  time  was  not  wholly 
wasted.  The  midshipmen,  whose  untamed  spirits 
frequently  got  them  into  difficulties,  Avere  set  to 
work  by  the  older  officers,  and  all,  men  as  well  as 
officers,  bore  their  imprisonment  with  fortitude. 
The  seamen  were  made  to  labor  on  the  fortifica- 
tions ;  and  as  they  were  often  unruly,  the  slave- 
67 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

drivers  had  no  hesitation  in  ordering  them  to  be 
bastinadoed  on  every  occasion.  The  man  who  ad- 
ministered the  punishment  was  not  so  hard-hearted 
as  his  masters,  and  although  he  reguUirlj  laid  on 
the  required  number  of  blows  upon  the  soles  of 
the  sailors'  feet,  he  winked  at  the  fact  that  they 
had  wrapped  folds  of  matting  around  their  feet, 
and  the  blows  hurt  not  at  all.  The  sailors  were 
clever  enough  to  shriek  and  scream  during  this 
mock  bastinadoing,  and  the  slave-drivers  were 
completely  deceived  by  Jack's  ruse. 

At  last,  on  the  night  of  the  15th  of  February, 
1804,  the  captives  were  awakened  by  the  firing  of 
heavy  guns.  By  the  light  of  a  brilliant  moon  and 
the  blazing  hull  and  spars  of  the  Philadelphia  out 
in  the  harbor,  they  saw  the  destruction  of  the  ship 
by  Decatur  1  and  his  gallant  band.  While  they 
watched  her  burn  to  the  water's  edge,  her  shotted 
guns  burst  with  heat  and  flame,  her  magazine 
blew  up,  and  when  the  sun  rose  next  morning, 
not  a  vestige  remained  of  the  lovely  frigate.  She 
had  been  destroyed  by  the  Americans  under  De- 
catur, without  the  loss  of  a  single  man. 

This  gave  heart  to  the  prisoners,  and  they  felt 
their  deliverance  was  at  hand  ;  but  it  was  not 
until  the  spring  had  passed  and  the  summer 
dragged  along  into  August  that  one  day  they 
were  roused  by  a  heavy  cannonade.  They  were 
then    confined    underground    in    the    Bashaw's 

1  See  the  biography  of  Decatur. 
68 


WILLIAM  BAINBUIDGE 

castle,  and  llicrc  was  only  ono  window  In-  which 
they  couhl  soc  tlu'  offing.  'J'hc}^  eagerly  clam- 
bered u}),  and  the  thrill  of  joy  they  felt  may  be 
imagined  when  they  saw  a  smart  flotilla  of  small 
vessels,  led  with  the  greatest  dash  and  impetuosity 
by  Decatur  and  Vomers,  burning,  sinking,  or  driv- 
ing back  the  Tripolitan  gunboats.  And  farther 
out  in  the  offing,  they  saw  the  glorious  Constitu- 
tion coming  into  action  in  grand  style,  choosing 
her  range  with  majestic  deliberation,  and  then 
her  batteries  roaring  out  destruction  to  her  ene- 
mies, while  the  Tripolitan  shot  fell  short,  or 
dropped  harmlessly  against  her  stout  sides. 

For  six  weeks  the  attack  was  kept  up  furiously, 
and  in  that  time  five  tremendous  assaults  were 
made  by  Commodore  Preble's  squadron.  In  one 
of  these  destructive  cannonades  a  round  shot 
from  the  Constitution  tore  in  at  the  one  win- 
dow from  which  a  part  of  the  harbor  could  be 
seen,  and,  narrowly  missing  Bainbridge,  knocked 
him  down  and  almost  covered  him  with  the  mass 
of  stone  and  mortar  it  dislodged.  But  Bain- 
bridge was  not  the  man  to  mind  a  trifle  like  this, 
and  every  time  the  Constitution  came  within 
range,  she  was  welcome  to  the  tired  eyes,  and  the 
thunder  of  her  well-served  batteries  was  music 
to  the  ears  of  the  imprisoned  Americans.  They 
hoped  from  day  to  day  for  release,  and  although 
the  season  for  active  operations  closed  before  the 
Bashaw  had  actually  been  reduced  to  submission, 

69 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

yet  it  was  plain  that  the  town  could  not  with- 
stand another  such  cannonade. 

Wlien  the  Constitution  was  forced  to  depart, 
she  left  hehind  her  a  menacing  promise  to  the 
Bashaw  that  she  would  come  back  the  next  sea- 
son, and  finish  the  work ;  and  the  last  of  May, 
1805,  saw  her  again  off  the  town.  This  time 
the  Bashaw  was  anxious  to  make  peace.  Sidi 
Mohammed  D'Ghies  urged  him  to  send  Bain- 
bridge  aboard  the  Constitution  on  his  parole,  to 
see  what  the  Americans  demanded.  The  Bashaw 
asked  if  Sidi  really  thought  that  Bainbridge 
would  return  if  once  his  foot  touched  the  Con- 
stitution's deck. 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Sidi ;  "  the  American 
captain  will  keep  his  word,  and  I  will  leave  my 
eldest  son  as  a  hostage  that  he  will  return." 

The  Bashaw,  only  half  believing,  allowed  Bain- 
bridge to  go,  and  on  the  1st  of  June,  1805,  nine- 
teen months  exactly  after  his  capture,  Bainbridge 
again  trod  the  deck  of  an  American  man-of-war. 
Commodore  Rodgers,  commanding  the  Consti- 
tution, and  all  the  officers  of  the  squadron  re- 
ceived him  affectionately.  They  had  brought  out 
a  treaty  of  peace  for  the  Bashaw  to  sign,  and 
the  first  stipulation  was  that  every  American 
prisoner  should  be  given  up  immediately  and 
without  conditions.  This,  Bainbridge  said,  he 
did  not  believe  the  Bashaw  would  ever  agree  to, 
as   it  was   a  fixed  principle   with  the   Barbary 

70 


WILLIAM  BAINBIirDGE 

powers  never  to  give  up  a  prisoner  without  ran- 
som. r>ainljridge  returned  to  the  shore  at  night- 
fall, and,  with  Sidi,  went  to  tlie  castle,  where  the 
Bashaw  expressed  great  surprise  at  seeing  him 
again.  The  Bashaw,  however,  was  far  less  in- 
clined to  keep  up  the  fight  than  Bainbridge  ima- 
gined. After  a  day  or  two  of  hesitation,  a  council 
of  war  was  held  at  which  Bainbridge  was  invited 
to  be  present,  —  an  honor  never  before  bestowed 
upon  a  prisoner  of  the  Barbary  States.  When 
Bainbridge  entered  the  council  chamber  at  the 
castle,  he  found  the  Bashaw  surrounded  by  all  of 
his  great  officers  of  state,  with  the  treaty  l^rought 
by  Commodore  Rodgers  spread  out  before  them. 
To  sign  it  meant  peace,  and  the  immediate  release 
of  every  American  prisoner  ;  to  refuse  it  meant 
that  the  Constitution  and  her  consorts  lying 
out  within  gunshot  of  the  town,  would  be  thun- 
dering at  their  forts  and  ships  within  an  hour. 
The  question  of  peace  or  war  was  debated  with 
grave  eloquence.  The  council  was  evenly  divided. 
At  last  the  decision  had  to  be  made.  The  Bashaw, 
after  a  solemn  pause,  took  his  signet  ring  from 
his  bosom,  and,  affixing  it  to  the  treaty,  said  with 
dignity,— 

"  It  is  peace." 

Bainbridge  is  said  to  have  thought,  after  the 
event  happened,  that  the  Bashaw  had  no  real 
intention  of  withstanding  another  bombardment, 
and    his    hesitation    and    final    yielding    to    the 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

advocates  of  peace  was  a  preconcerted  arrange- 
ment. 

As  soon  as  the  treaty  was  signed,  the  forts  and 
castle  saluted  the  American  flag,  and  the  squadron 
returned  the  salute.  Next  day  the  American 
prisoners  were  released.  A  Neapolitan  who  had 
been  held  in  slavery  for  years  by  the  Tripolitans 
had  been  very  kind  to  the  sailors  and  marines, 
and  they  asked  Bainbridge  if  he  would  authorize 
the  purser  to  advance  them  seven  hundred  dollars 
out  of  their  pay  to  buy  the  Neapolitan's  freedom. 
This  was  done,  and  tile  man  was  restored  to  his 
country  by  these  grateful  men. 

The  squadron  sailed  for  Syracuse,  where  a  court 
of  inquiry  into  the  loss  of  the  Philadelphia  was 
held,  and  Bainbridge  was  honorably  acquitted. 
On  his  return  to  the  United  States  he  was  re- 
ceived with  much  kindness  by  his  companions  in 
arms,  by  the  government,  and  the  people,  all  of 
whom  regarded  him  as  a  brave  and  capable  offi- 
cer who  had  lost  his  ship  by  one  of  those  fateful 
accidents  against  which  neither  courage  nor  ca- 
pacity can  prevail. 

It  seems  singular  that  on  the  heels  of  the  splen- 
did successes  of  the  navy  before  Tripoli  and  with 
the  rest  of  the  Barbary  powers,  the  government 
and  the  people  showed  very  little  understanding 
of  the  value  of  the  naval  service.  As  soon  as 
hostilities  were  over  with  the  corsairs,  a  reduc- 
tion of  the  navy  took  place,  although  at  that  very 

72 


WILLIAM   BAINBRIDGE 

time  aggressions  of  Great  J^ritaiu  upon  American 
merchant  ships  wore  continuing  at  a  rate  which 
was  bound  to  provoke  war  in  the  end.  Bain- 
bridge,  like  many  others,  found  himself  without 
a  ship,  and  on  half-pay ;  and  he  asked  and  ob- 
tained leave,  during  the  intervals  when  he  was 
without  a  naval  command,  to  make  voyages  in 
the  merchant  service.  He  was  absent  on  one 
of  these  voyages  for  profit  in  the  autumn  of 
1811,  when  at  St.  Petersburg  he  heard  of  the 
probability  of  a  declaration  of  war  with  Great 
Britain.  He  started  instantly  on  his  return  to 
the  United  States,  and  reached  Washington  in 
February,  1812.  He  found  there  one  of  Commo- 
dore Preble's  captains,  Charles  Stewart,^  and  to 
his  rage  and  mortification  was  told  that  the  gov- 
ernment thought  it  vain  and  foolhardy  to  give 
battle  on  the  sea  to  the  mightiest  naval  power 
on  earth,  which  had  then  vanquished  the  navies 
of  Europe  and  kept  them  skulking  in  their  own 
harbors.  Such  over-prudence  ill  suited  the  ardent 
and  determined  natures  of  Bainbridge  and  Stewart. 
They  heard  that  the  government  had  concluded 
to  lay  up  such  ships  as  it  had,  and  to  prosecute 
the  fight  entirely  on  land.  They  went  together 
to  President  Madison,  and  besought  him  to  change 
this  cowardly  and  unwise  policy,  and  succeeded 
in  persuading  him  to  do  it.  For  this  one  act  the 
country  is   forever   indebted   to  Bainbridge  and 

^  See  the  biograpliy  of  Stewart. 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

Stewart.  While  nothing  could  eventually  stop 
the  progress  of  the  United  States  toward  being 
a  great  and  powerful  nation,  yet,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  victories  gained  at  sea  during  the  War  of 
1812-15,  the  dignity  and  prestige  of  the  United 
States  would  have  suffered  an  eclipse  for  fifty 
years.  The  success  of  the  Americans  in  the  ship 
duels  on  the  ocean  during  the  war  of  1812  did  more 
to  make  the  United  States  respected  abroad  than 
any  event  of  our  history  after  the  Ee volution. 
The  great  question  of  the  right  of  search  in  neu- 
tral vessels  was  settled  by  the  achievements  of  a 
few  smart  vessels  with  great  and  daring  captains, 
belonging  to  a  young  and  hitherto  feeble  power  in 
America,  —  a  right  which  had  been  vainly  con- 
tested by  all  the  powers  of  Europe.  The  British 
navy  had  been  for  more  than  a  hundred  years 
practically  invincible,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  many  of  its  earlier  losses  in  1812-15  came 
from  absolute  rashness,  fostered  by  a  long  and 
glorious  career  of  conquest.  What  was  of  more 
value  to  the  United  States  than  the  respect  of 
continental  Europe  was  the  respect  earned  from 
the  English  themselves.  The  United  States  of 
1812  was  chiefly  populated  by  those  only  a  few 
generations  from  an  English  ancestry,  and  the 
people  of  the  two  countries  were  alike  in  their 
willingness  to  make  a  square,  stand-up  fight,  and 
then  to  shake  hands  afterward.  From  the  hour 
that  the  first  British  frigate  struck  to  an  Ameri- 

74 


WILr>IA.M    liAINBlUDGE 

can  sliip,  the  British  navy  highly  esteemed  the 
American  navy,  and  the  British  government  rijal- 
ized  that  at  last  there  was  a  sea  power  e(iual  in 
skill,  daring,  and  resource  to  Great  Britain.  The 
ships  lost  by  the  British  were  scarcely  missed 
from  their  huge  fleets ;  but  Great  Britain,  like 
America,  promptly  recognized  the  new  and  tre- 
mendous force  which  the  taking  of  those  few 
ships  implied.  It  was  one  of  the  most  fortunate 
hours  that  ever  dawned  for  the  United  States 
when  the  advice  of  Bainbridge  and  Stewart  was 
taken,  and  within  six  months  they  were  amply 
justified. 

Bainbridge  by  his  rank  was  entitled  to  a  choice 
of  the  few  frigates  the  country  then  owned,  and 
he  would  undoubtedly  have  chosen  the  glorious 
"  Old  Ironsides "  upon  which  to  hoist  his  flag. 
But  HulP  had  got  her  already,  and,  apprehend- 
ing that  orders  might  come  detaching  him,  he  put 
to  sea  in  a  hurry,  and  before  he  returned,  had 
captured  the  Guerriere  frigate.  Bainbridge  got 
the  Constellation,  the  fine  frigate  in  which  Com- 
modore Truxtun  had  fought  two  French  frigates. 
He  was  not  able,  however,  to  get  to  sea  in  her ; 
and  when  Hull  returned  from  his  victorious  cruise, 
in  August,  1812,  he  gave  up  the  Constitution  to 
Bainbridge,  who  hoisted  a  broad  pennant  on  her. 
The  Essex,  thirty-two  guns,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Porter,  who  afterward  made  his  celebrated 

1  See  the  biography  of  Commodore  Hull. 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

cruise  in  her  to  the  Pacific,  and  the  Hornet,  of 
eighteen  guns,  under  the  gallant  Lawrence,^  with 
the  Constitution,  were  ordered  to  join  Bainbridge. 
Porter  was  Bainbridge's  old  lieutenant  in  the 
Philadelphia,  and  had  shared  his  captivity  at 
Tripoli.  Events,  however,  so  fell  out  that  the 
Essex  did  not  join  the  other  two  ships,  and  Bain- 
bridge sailed  in  October,  1812,  for  the  South 
Atlantic  accompanied  only  by  the  Hornet.  The 
Constitution  was  in  need  of  repairs,  and  not  sail- 
ing in  her  usual  great  form,  but  could  still  sail 
fairly  well  on  a  wind.  She  had  some  of  the  offi- 
cers and  all  of  the  crew  in  her  that  had  got  her 
out  of  the  clutches  of  Admiral  Broke's  squadron 
in  June,  and  had  taken  the  Guerriere  in  August. 
Therefore  it  was  with  great  confidence  that  Com- 
modore Bainbridge  on  the  morning  of  the  29th  of 
December,  1812,  made  for  a  British  frigate  which 
showed  an  equal  inclination  to  close  with  him. 
This  vessel,  the  Java,  which  carried  forty-nine 
guns,  was  undoubtedly  a  lighter  ship  than  the 
Constitution.  Yet  the  British  were  in  the  habit 
of  engaging  such  odds  successfully  with  the  war- 
ships of  other  nations,  and  Captain  Lambert  of 
the  Java  showed  a  stern  determination  to  stand 
by  his  colors,  and  was  as  far  from  declining  the 
fight  when  he  saw  his  adversary's  power  as  when 
she  was  still  hull  down  in  the  distance. 

The  Java  vras  fitted  out  to  carry  Lieutenant- 

1  See  tlie  biographies  of  Porter  and  Lawrence. 
76 


WILLIAM    BAINBIUDGK 

General  Ilislop  and  a  large  staff  to  Bombay, 
besides  a  number  of  naval  oilicers  and  seamen  for 
ships  on  the  East  India  stations.  She  had  about 
four  hundred  and  twenty-five  men  on  board. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  day,  after  manoeuvring 
for  an  hour  or  two  in  order  to  get  together,  the 
first  broadsides  were  exchanged.  There  was  a 
light  wind  blowing,  and  Bainbridge,  wishing  to 
get  the  advantage  of  it  as  far  as  possible,  did  not 
strip  his  ship  of  much  of  her  canvas,  but  went 
into  action  with  most  of  his  light  sails  set  and  his 
royal  yards  across.  The  Java,  which  was  finely 
ofiicered  and  extra  manned,  was  very  actively 
handled ;  and  so  many  evolutions  were  made,  in 
order  to  get  a  good  position  for  raking,  that  the 
battle  ended  many  miles  to  leeward  of  where  it 
began.  The  cannonade  was  brisk  from  the  start, 
and  soon  after  the  first  broadside  Commodore 
Bainbridge  was  struck  on  the  hip  by  a  musket 
ball,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes,  wdiile  he  was 
standing  near  the  wheel,  a  shot  shivered  it,  and  a 
small  bolt  was  driven  into  his  thigh.  Bainbridge 
did  not  leave  the  deck  a  moment  for  this,  but 
remained  walking  about  as  if  he  had  not  been 
wounded.  The  loss  of  the  Constitution's  wheel 
was  very  serious,  especially  with  so  expert  an 
antagonist  as  Captain  Lambert  to  deal  with,  and 
Bainbridge  endeavored  to  close.  This  was  only 
partially  successful,  but  nevertheless  so  effective 
was  the  Constitution's  fire  that  it  was  soon  appar- 

77 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

ent  that  she  had  the  Java  at  her  mercy.  The 
gallant  frigate,  however,  did  not  strike  her  colors 
until  every  spar  was  shot  out  of  her,  her  cap- 
tain mortally  hurt,  her  first  lieutenant  painfully 
wounded,  and  she  had  lost  forty-eight  killed  and 
one  hundred  and  two  wounded.  Then  only  she 
hauled  down  the  union  jack  which  had  been  fly- 
ing at  the  stump  of  the  mizzen-mast.  The  Con- 
stitution had  lost  nine  men  killed  and  twenty-five 
wounded,  and  came  out  of  the  action  with  all  her 
royal  yards  across,  and  every  spar  in  place. 

The  Java  had  been  so  much  cut  up  that  it 
was  impossible  to  refit  her,  and  Bainbridge  was 
forced  to  burn  her,  after  taking  out  her  wheel  to 
replace  the  Constitution's.  This  was  a  remark- 
ably clumsy  wheel,  and  in  no  way  matched  the 
handsome  fittings  of  the  ship  ;  but  it  was  retained, 
from  motives  of  sentiment,  ever  afterward. 

Captain  Lambert  lived  several  days  after  the 
fight,  and  was  put  ashore,  with  the  rest  of  the 
officers  of  the  Java,  at  San  Salvador.  Com- 
modore Bainbridge' s  wounds  were  dangerous,  as 
he  had  remained  on  deck  from  the  time  he  was 
shot,  at  half  past  two  in  the  day,  until  eleven 
o'clock  that  night.  When  Captain  Lambert  was 
about  to  be  taken  ashore,  Bainbridge  had  himself 
carried  on  deck  by  two  of  his  officers,  to  where 
Captain  Lambert  lay  in  his  cot.  Bainbridge,  who 
was  then  dangerously  ill  and  in  great  pain,  re- 
turned the  dying  officer  his  sword,  and  Captain 

78 


WILLIAM    BAIXBUIl)(;i: 

Laml)crt,  still  conscious,  feebly  thanked  him. 
The  interview  hroimht  tears  to  the  eyes  of  all 
who  witnessed  it,  and  (he  two  captains  parted, 
never  to  meet  again  in  this  world,  with  feeliniA's 
of  kindness  such  as  brave  enemies  should  enter- 
tain for  each  other. 

Bainbridge  treated  all  of  his  prisoners  with 
great  generosity,  and  they  showed  a  very  grate- 
ful appreciation  of  it.  On  the  4th  of  January, 
on  being  informed  by  Lieutenant  Chads,  next 
in  command,  of  Captain  Lambert's  death,  Bain- 
bridge wrote  a  very  beautiful  letter,  in  which  he 
said :  "  Commodore  Bainbridge  takes  this  occa- 
sion to  observe,  in  justice  to  Lieutenant  Chads, 
who  fought  the  Java  after  Captain  Lambert  was 
wounded,  that  he  had  done  everything  which  a 
brave  and  skilful  officer  could  do,  and  further 
resistance  would  have  been  a  wanton  effusion  of 
hmnan  blood." 

This  was  valuable  testimony  to  Lieutenant 
Chads  on  his  future  court  martial.  Bainbridge 
had  known  what  it  was  to  lose  his  ship,  and  he 
could  feel  for  an  ofiicer  under  a  similar  misfor- 
tune. So  thoughtful  was  his  kindness  to  his  pris- 
oners, that  General  Hislop  in  gratitude  gave  him  a 
splendid  gold-hilted  sword,  and  the  two  remained 
friends  and  correspondents  during  the  rest  of  their 
lives.  The  conduct  of  Bainbridge  and  his  officers 
was  duly  reported  in  England,  and  the  Prince  Re- 
gent, afterward  George  the  Fourth,  who  could  say 

79 


TWELA'E  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

graceful  things,  remarked  that  he  would  like  to 
shake   hands   with   Bainbridge,   for   his   magna- 
nimity to  the  British  prisoners.     The  loss  of  the 
Java,  following  upon  that  of  the   Guerri^re  and 
the   Macedonian,  produced  a  shock  of  pain  and 
grief  throughout  Great   Britain.     The  venerable 
Admiral  Jarvis,  the  day  after  the  news  reached 
London,  said  he  had  passed  a  sleepless  night,  not 
from  the  destruction  of  a  single  British  frigate,  but 
because  of  the  seamanlike  manner  in  which  it  had 
been  captured,  which  gave  him  as  an  Englishman 
much  uneasiness  and  apprehension  of  the  future 
naval  greatness  of  the  United  States.     Bainbridge 
returned  to  the  United  States  within  five  months 
of  leaving  home,  and  was  welcomed  as  victorious 
captains  always  are.    He  landed  at  Boston,  where 
he  was  given  a  splendid  public  dinner  ;  resolutions 
of  thanks  from  the  city  and  State  governments 
were  passed  in  his  honor,  and  he  and  the  brave 
fellows  under  him  became  the  heroes  of  the  hour. 
Amid  all  this  popular  adoration,  Bainbridge  did 
not  forget  the  claims  of  the  seamen,  and  imme- 
diately began  efforts  to  get   them  prize  money. 
He   wrote,   with  much  justice,  that  the  captain 
usually  got  all  the   honor  when  a  ship  was  cap- 
tured, while  the  officers  and  men,  who  did  quite 
as  much  toward  success,  got  nothing,  except  from 
the  generosity  of   the  government;  and  he  was 
deeply  gratified  when  Congress,  after   awarding 
him   the  customary  gold  medal,  and  the  officers 

80 


WILLIAM   BAINI3UIDGE 

silver  modals,  <vave  tlic  crew  a  suhstantial  sum 
ill  prize  money,  lie  gave  up  the  Constitution 
to  Captain  Stewart,  who,  like  Hull  and  himself, 
was  destined  to  do  great  things  in  her. 

Bainbridgc  did  not  get  to  sea  again  during  the 
war,  but  soon  after  the  peace  he  went  to  the 
Mediterranean  in  command  of  a  splendid  squad- 
ron destined  to  punish  the  Dey  of  Algiers  for 
certain  treacherous  acts  toward  American  ves- 
sels. Bainbridge  hoisted  his  flag  on  the  Inde- 
pendence, seventy-four  guns,  —  the  first  line-of- 
battle  ship  over  which  the  American  flag  ever 
floated.  Decatur,  who  had  sailed  in  advance  of 
the  commander-in-chief,  had  already  brought  the 
Dcy  to  terms  before  Bainbridge  arrived,  but  it 
was  thought  well  to  show  the  squadron  for  some 
time  in  European  waters.  It  consisted  of  the 
largest  naval  force  that  had,  up  to  that  time,  ever 
been  collected  under  an  American  flag  officer. 
It  consisted  of  one  ship  of  the  line,  three  splendid 
frigates,  and  fourteen  smaller  vessels,  all  well 
officered  and  manned,  and  fine  ships  of  their 
class.  At  Gibraltar,  where  it  lay  some  time,  it 
was  extremely  admired,  and  the  American  officers 
received  much  attention  from  the  officers  of  the 
British  fleet  and  garrison. 

In  1820  Bainbridge  again  took  a  noble  fleet  to 
the  Mediterranean.  On  reaching  Gibraltar,  he 
found  a  very  bad  state  of  affairs  between  the 
officers  of  the  American  squadron,  which  rendez- 

6  81 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

voused  there,  and  the  British  officers  of  the  gar- 
rison and  fleet.  Misunderstandings,  quarrels,  and 
duels  were  so  frequent  that  the  Governor  had  taken 
upon  himself  to  forbid  the  American  officers  from 
yisiting  the  town  or  garrison.  He  expressed  to 
Commodore  Bainbridge,  however,  a  desire  for  an 
amicable  arrangement.  Bainbridge  at  once  re- 
quired that  this  prohibition  be  removed,  and 
refused  to  treat  until  it  was  withdrawn,  which 
was  done.  As  the  British  officers  had  very  great 
personal  regard  for  Bainbridge,  he  was  the  man 
for  smoothing  down  differences  while  maintaining 
the  dignity  of  an  American  officer.  From  that 
day,  American  officers  have  been  well  treated  at 
Gibraltar.  This  was  Bainbridge's  last  cruise,  and 
afterward  his  service  was  in  command  of  differ- 
ent navy  yards.  It  is  said  that  in  the  course  of 
his  naval  career  he  moved  his  family  twenty-six 
times.  His  health  began  to  fail  after  his  fifty- 
fifth  year,  but  he  survived  his  sixtieth  year. 
He  died  at  Philadelphia  in  July,  1833,  honored 
and  admired  to  an  extraordinary  degree.  His 
last  words  were,  as  he  raised  himself  from  his 
bed  of  death,  — 

'*  Give  me  my  sword !     And  call  all  hands  to 
board  the  enemy  !  " 


82 


^^}li4ya^ 


EDWARD   PREBLE 

The  story  of  Commodore  Preble  is,  in  itself, 
not  only  exciting  but  amusing;  and  the  gravest 
histories  of  him  have  not  been  able  to  keep  the 
vagaries  of  the  commodore's  celebrated  bad  temper 
in  abeyance.  Preble  was,  unquestionably,  one  of 
the  very  greatest  sea  officers  this  country  ever 
produced  ;  and  however  ridiculous  the  outbursts 
of  his  fiery  temper  might  make  him,  they  never 
made  him  contemptible.  "  The  old  man  has  the 
best  heart,  if  he  has  the  worst  temper,  in  the 
world,"  was  always  said  of  him  by  the  junior 
officers  who  were  the  victims  of  his  wrath. 
Preble  seems  to  have  come  naturally  by  his  im- 
petuosity. His  father  before  him,  General  Preble, 
brigadier  in  the  provincial  army,  was  one  of  the 
same  sort,  and  it  was  commonly  said  by  their 
neighbors  and  friends  that  "  Ned  has  a  good  deal 
of  the  brigadier  in  him."  The  father  and  son 
were  deeply  attached  to  each  other,  although  they 
often  came  in  conflict.  The  last  time  was  when 
Edward  was  about  sixteen  years  old,  in  1777. 
Men  were  so  scarce,  owing  to  most  of  them  hav- 
ing enlisted  in  the  continental  army,  that  the  old 
brigadier  set  his  boys  to  lioeing  potatoes  on  his 

83 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

farm  near  Portland,  Maine.  Edward  had  not 
worked  very  long  when,  throwing  away  his  hoe, 
he  declared  he  had  no  taste  for  such  work,  and 
walked  himself  off  to  the  seacoast,  where  he  en- 
tered the  first  vessel  that  would  take  him.  The 
brigadier  did  not  seem  to  regard  this  as  wholly 
unjustifiable,  and,  seeing  the  boy  was  bent  on  the 
sea,  got  him  a  midshipman's  commission  in  the 
infant  navy  of  the  colonies.  In  almost  his  first 
engagement  Edward  was  taken  prisoner,  but  was 
given  his  parole  at  New  York.  There  is  in  exist- 
ence a  letter  written  to  him  at  that  time  by  his 
father  the  brigadier,  which  shows  great  affection 
for  the  boy,  and  the  strongest  possible  desire  that 
he  should  conduct  himself  honorably.  The  old 
man,  then  over  seventy,  reminds  his  son  "  not  to 
stain  his  honor  by  attempting  to  escape."  And 
another  recommendation  is  followed  by  the  utter- 
ance of  a  great  truth  which  it  would  be  w^ell  if 
every  human  being  acted  upon.  It  is  this  :  "  Be 
kind  and  obliging  to  all ;  for  no  man  ever  does 
a  designed  injury  to  another  tvlthout  doing  a 
greater  to  himself T 

Before  this,  an  event  had  occurred  which  Preble 
occasionally  alluded  to  in  after  life,  and  which, 
marvellous  as  it  seems,  must  be  accepted  as  true, 
for  Preble  was  too  close  an  observer  to  have  been 
deceived,  and  too  sensible  a  man  to  have  assumed 
that  he  saw  a  thing  which  he  did  not  really  see. 

In  the    summer   of    1779   young  Preble   was 

84 


EDWARD  PREBLE 

attached  to  the  Protector,  a  smart  little  conti- 
nental cruiser,  under  tlie  command  of  Captain 
Williams,  a  brave  and  enterprising  commander. 
The  Protector  was  lying  in  one  of  the  bays  on 
the  Maine  coast,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Penobscot, 
when  on  a  clear,  still  day  a  large  serpent  was  seen 
lying  motionless  on  the  water  close  to  the  vessel. 
Captain  Williams  examined  it  through  his  spy- 
glass, as  did  every  officer  on  the  vessel.  Young 
Preble  was  ordered  to  attack  it  in  a  twelve-oared 
boat,  armed  with  a  swivel.  The  boat  was  low- 
ered, the  men  armed  with  cutlasses  and  boarding- 
pikes,  and  quickly  pulled  toward  the  serpent. 
The  creature  raised  its  head  about  ten  feet  above 
the  surface,  and  then  began  to  make  off  to  sea. 
The  boat  followed  as  rapidly  as  the  men  could 
force  it  through  the  water,  and  the  swivel  was 
fired  at  the  serpent.  This  had  no  apparent  effect, 
except  to  make  the  creature  get  out  of  the  way 
the  faster.  Preble,  however,  had  had  a  complete 
view  of  it  for  some  time,  and  said,  in  his  opinion, 
it  was  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  long,  and  was  about  as  big  around  as  a  barrel. 
This  account  must  be  accepted  as  exactly  true  in 
every  particular,  coming  from  a  man  like  Edward 
Preble  ;  and  when  he  says  he  saw  a  sea-serpent 
from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
long  and  as  big  around  as  a  barrel  and  got  close 
enough  to  fire  at  it,  it  must  be  absolutely  true  in 
every  particular.     It  must  be  remembered  that 

85 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

Preble  died  long  before  sea-serpent  stories  became 
common.^ 

Preble  saw  much  service  in  the  Revolution, 
and  was  the  hero  of  a  very  daring  achievement 
not  long  after  his  onslaught  on  the  sea-serpent. 
He  was  then  serving  as  first  lieutenant  on  the 
Winthrop,  a  small  cruiser.  Captain  Little,  of 
the  Winthrop,  heard  there  was  an  armed  brig 
lying  at  anchor  under  the  guns  of  the  British 
breastworks  on  the  Penobscot.  He  gave  per- 
mission to  Preble  to  cut  the  brig  out,  if  possible. 
It  was  determined  to  steal  in  upon  her  at  night, 
and  carry  her  by  boarding.  On  a  dark  night, 
therefore,  Preble,  with  forty  men,  ran  in  un- 
perceived,  and  the  Winthrop  got  alongside  her 
enemy.  They  all  wore  their  white  shirts  over 
their  jackets,  so  that  they  could  tell  friends  from 
foes  when  once  on  the  British  vessel.  The  officer 
of  the  deck  of  the  British  ship  mistook  the  little 
Winthrop  for  a  tender  of  their  own,  and  called 
out,  "  Run  aboard  ! "  "I  am  coming  aboard," 
answered  Captain  Little,  as  his  vessel  shot  along- 
side. Preble,  with  only  fourteen  men,  leaped  on 
the  brig's  deck,  when  the  Winthrop  caught  a  puff 
of  wind  and  drifted  off.  As  they  passed  ahead, 
Captain  Little  called  out, — 

"  Shall  I  send  you  some  more  men  ?  " 
"No,"  coolly  answered  Preble;    "I  have  too 
many  already." 

1  See  Cooper's  Xaval  Biography  for  this  incident. 
86 


EDWARD   PREBLE 

lie  had  tlicn  seciirud  tlic  few  men  on  d(*ck,  and 
soon  had  possession  of  the  brig.  The  l^ritish 
batteries  on  sliorc  opened  fire  on  him,  bnt  Preble 
managed  to  take  the  vessel  out  without  serious 
damage  and  without  losing  a  man. 

At  the  end  of  the  Revolution  the  navy  practi- 
cally ceased  to  exist,  and  Preble  went  into  the 
merchant  service,  as  so  many  of  the  officers  were 
forced  to  do.  But  in  1798,  when  the  quasi  war 
with  France  took  place,  he  re-entered  the  navy, 
which  had  been  created  anew.  He  was  commis- 
sioned lieutenant  in  1798,  and  was  lucky  enough 
the  very  next  year  to  get  the  Essex,  frigate  of 
thirty-two  guns.  In  her  he  started  on  what  was 
then  the  longest  cruise  ever  made  by  an  American 
man-of-war.  He  went  to  the  Indian  Seas,  to  give 
convoy  to  a  valuable  fleet  of  merchant  vessels 
engaged  in  the  China  and  India  trade,  and  which 
were  liable  to  be  attacked  by  French  cruisers. 
He  had  no  opportunity  to  distinguish  himself 
especially  in  this  duty,  although  he  took  care  of 
the  ships  and  got  them  all  safely  to  New  York. 
Soon  afterward,  the  United  States  and  France 
having  come  to  terms,  Preble  went  ashore  and 
remained  for  two  years.  His  health  was  bad  in 
the  beginning,  but  being  much  improved,  in  1803 
he  reported  for  duty,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
Constitution,  forty -four  guns,  then  preparing  for 
a  Mediterranean  cruise. 

At  that  time  the  relations  of  the  United  States 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

with  the  piratical  powers  of  the  Barbary  coast 
were  most  unsatisfactory.  After  years  of  sub- 
mission to  their  exactions, —  a  submission  which 
seems  ahnost  incredible  now,  —  the  United  States 
government  determined  to  do  in  the  end  what  it 
should  have  done  in  the  beginning.  This  was  to 
send  a  powerful  squadron  to  attack  these  pirates 
of  the  land  as  well  as  the  sea,  and  to  force  them 
to  respect  the  persons  and  liberties  of  Americans. 
Preble  was  given  the  command  of  this  squadron, 
with  orders  to  punish  Algiers,  Morocco,  Tunis, 
and  especially  Tripoli,  so  that  it  would  not  soon 
be  forgotten.  He  hoisted  the  broad  pennant  of  a 
commodore  on  the  Constitution,  and  had  under 
him  the  Philadelphia,  a  heavy  frigate  of  thirty- 
eight  guns,  and  five  small  vessels,  —  the  Enter- 
prise, Argus,  Nautilus,  Vixen,  and  Siren.  It  was 
a  remarkable  squadron  in  many  ways.  The  Con- 
stitution was  probably  the  heaviest  frigate  afloat, 
and  able  to  withstand  a  cannonade  as  well  as 
any  line-of -battle  ship.  In  Preble  she  had  a  com- 
mander worthy  of  her. 

Preble  was  then  about  forty  years  of  age,  and 
his  temper  had  not  been  sweetened  by  dyspepsia, 
of  which  he  had  been  a  victim  for  a  long  time. 
The  Constitution  was  destined,  under  his  com- 
mand, to  win  for  herself  the  famous  name  of 
"  Old  Ironsides  "  from  the  way  in  which  her  stout 
timbers  resisted  the  tremendous  cannonade  of  the 
forts  and  fleets  at  Tripoli.    It  was  in  this  splendid 

88 


EDWARD  PREBLE 

cruise,  too,  flint  she  gained  lier  well-maintained 
reputation  for  being  a  lucky  ship.  In  nil  her 
great  battles  she  never  lost  her  commanding  offi- 
cer, nor  did  any  great  slaughter  ever  take  place 
on  her  decks,  nor  was  she  ever  dismasted  or 
seriously  injured  by  war  or  weather,  nor  did  she 
ever  take  the  ground.  Up  to  this  time  the  Con- 
stellation had  been  the  favorite  frigate  of  the 
navy,  but,  beginning  with  Preble's  great  cruise,  the 
Constitution  became,  once  and  for  all,  the  darling 
ship,  not  only  of  the  navy  but  of  the  nation. 

The  only  other  heavy  frigate  in  the  squadron  was 
the  Philadelphia,  thirty-eight  guns,  commanded  by 
Captain  William  Bainbridge.  Iler  tragic  fate  and 
the  glorious  manner  in  which  it  was  avenged  is  one 
of  the  immortal  incidents  of  the  American  navy.^ 

The  five  small  vessels  were  commanded  by 
five  young  men,  lieutenants  commandant,  accord- 
ing to  the  rank  of  the  day,  of  which  three  — 
Hull,  Decatur,  and  Stewart  —  reached  the  great- 
est distinction.  Soraers,  the  fourth,  had  a  short 
but  glorious  career.  The  fifth,  Captain  Smith, 
was  a  brave  and  capable  officer,  but  his  name  has 
been  overshadowed  by  the  four  young  captains, 
who  made  a  truly  extraordinary  constellation  of 
genius.  Among  the  midshipmen  in  the  squadron 
were  two,  Thomas  MacDonough  and  James  Law- 
rence, who  achieved  reputations  equal  to  the 
three  great  captains. 

1  See  the  biography  of  Bainbridge. 

89 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

In  the  summer  of  1803  the  squadron  sailed, 
as  each  ship  was  ready,  for  Gibraltar,  which  was 
the  rendezvous.  On  the  way  out,  the  young 
officers  on  the  Constitution  had  a  taste  of  tlie 
commodore's  temper,  which  was  far  from  pleas- 
ing to  them ;  but  they  also  found  out  that  he  had 
an  excellent  heart,  and  even  a  strict  sense  of 
justice,  as  soon  as  his  explosions  of  wrath  were 
over.  And  before  very  long  they  discovered 
the  qualities  of  promptness,  courage,  and  capacity 
which  made  Commodore  Preble  a  really  great 
commander.  While  off  Gibraltar,  on  a  dark 
night,  the  Constitution  found  herself  quite  close 
to  a  large  ship.  Preble  immediately  sent  the 
men  to  quarters,  for  fear  the  stranger  might 
be  an  enemy,  and  hailing  began.  The  stranger 
seemed  more  anxious  to  ask  questions  than  to 
answer  them.  This  angered  the  fiery  commodore, 
and  he  directed  his  first  lieutenant  to  say  if  the 
ship  did  not  give  her  name  he  would  give  her  a 
shot.  The  stranger  called  back :  "  If  you  give 
me  a  shot,  I  '11  give  you  a  broadside."  Preble, 
at  this,  seized  the  trumpet  himself,  and,  spring- 
ing into  the  mizzen  rigging,  bawled  out :  "  This 
is  the  United  States  ship  Constitution,  forty- 
four  guns,  Commodore  Edward  Preble.  I  am 
about  to  hail  you  for  the  last  time.  If  you 
do  not  answer,  I  will  give  you  a  broadside. 
What  ship  is  that  ?  Blow  your  matches,  boys !  " 
The  answer   then   came :    "  This  is   his   Britan- 

90 


EDWARD   PREBLE 

nic    Majesty's    slii})    Donegal,    razee,    of    eighty 
guns.'* 

"  I  don't  believe  yon,"  answered  Preble,  "  and 
I  shall  stick  by  you  till  morning  to  make  sure  of 
your  character."  In  a  few  minutes  a  boat  came 
alongside,  with  an  oiTicer,  who  explained  that  the 
stranger  was  the  Maidstone,  frigate,  of  thirty- 
eight  guns,  and  the  delay  in  answering  the  hails 
and  the  false  name  given  were  because  the  Con- 
stitution had  got  close  so  unexpectedly  that  they 
wanted  time  to  get  the  people  to  quarters  in  case 
she  should  prove  an  enemy.  This  one  incident 
is  said  to  have  worked  a  complete  revolution  in 
the  feelings  of  the  officers  and  men  toward  Preble  ; 
and  although  he  was  as  stern  and  strict  as  ever, 
they  could  not  but  admire  his  firmness  and  cool 
courage  in  an  emergency. 

Arrived  at  Gibraltar,  Preble  met  for  the  first 
time  his  five  young  captains.  Not  one  was  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  and  none  was  married.  At 
the  first  council  of  war  held  aboard  the  Consti- 
tution there  w^as  a  universal  shyness  on  their 
part  when  asked  their  views  by  the  commodore. 
The  fame  of  the  "  old  man's  "  temper  and  severity 
had  preceded  him,  and  his  boy  captains  felt  no 
disposition  whatever  to  either  advise  him  or  to 
disagree  with  him.  When  the  council  was  over, 
Preble  remained  in  the  cabin,  leaning  his  head 
on  his  hand,  and  quite  overcome  with  dejection  and 
depression.     To  Colonel  Lear,  an  American  con- 

91 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

sul,  then  on  board,  Preble  bitterly  remarked  :  "  I 
have  been  indiscreet  in  accepting  this  command. 
Had  I  known  how  I  was  to  be  supported,  I 
certainly  should  have  declined  it.  Government 
has  sent  me  here  a  parcel  of  schoolboys,  to  com- 
mand all  my  light  craft  !  " 

A  year  afterward,  when  the  "  parcel  of  school- 
boys "  had  covered  themselves  with  glory,  Colonel 
Lear  asked  the  commodore  if  he  remembered  this 
speech. 

"  Perfectly,"  answered  the  commodore.  "  But 
they  turned  out  to  be  good  schoolboys." 

After  collecting  his  squadron  at  Gibraltar, 
Preble,  with  three  vessels,  stood  for  Tangier. 
The  Emperor  of  Morocco  pretended  to  be  very 
friendly  witli  the  Americans,  and  sent  them  pres- 
ents of  bullocks,  sheep,  and  vegetables ;  but 
Preble,  while  treating  him  with  respect,  yet  kept 
his  ships  cleared  for  action  and  the  men  at  quar- 
ters day  and  night,  lest  the  Moors  should  show 
treachery.  On  going  ashore  with  some  of  his 
officers  to  pay  a  visit  of  ceremony  to  the  Em- 
peror, he  gave  a  characteristic  order  to  the  com- 
manding officer  of  the  ship  :  "  If  I  do  not  return, 
enter  into  no  treaty  or  negotiation  for  me,  but 
open  fire  at  once."  On  reaching  the  palace  he 
was  told  that  the  party  must  leave  their  side- 
arms  outside  before  entering  the  Emperor's  pres- 
ence. Preble  replied  firmly  that  it  was  not  the 
custom  of   the  American  navy,  and   that  they 

92 


EDWARD   PREBLE 

should  enter  as  they  were,  —  ^v]licll  they  did.  The 
Emperor  soon  found  what  sort  of  a  man  lie  liad 
to  deal  with,  and  Preble  had  no  further  trouble 
with  him.  A  few  weeks  after  the  arrival  of  the 
squadron,  Preble  lieard  the  news  of  the  loss  of  the 
Philadelphia.  Nothing  better  shows  the  steadfast 
and  generous  nature  of  the  man  than  the  manner 
in  which  he  accepted  this  misfortune.  No  regrets 
were  heard  from  him;  no  railing  accusations 
against  Bainbridge ;  but  a  prom})t  and  deter- 
mined grappling  with  the  terrible  complication 
of  having  a  great  part  of  his  force  turned  against 
him ;  and  the  most  tender  consideration  for  the 
feelings  as  well  as  the  rights  of  Bainbridge  and 
his  men. 

Preble  was  enabled  to  provide  himself  with 
bomb-vessels  and  gunboats  by  the  aid  of  the 
King  of  Naples,  who,  like  all  the  other  European 
sovereigns,  wished  to  see  the  nest  of  pirates  ex- 
terminated. The  first  one  of  the  "schoolboys" 
to  distinguish  himself  was  Decatur,^  who,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1804,  crept  by  night  into  the  harbor  of 
Tripoli,  and  earned  immortality  by  destroying 
the  Philadelphia  as  she  swung  to  her  anchors, 
in  the  face  of  one  hundred  and  nineteen  great 
guns  and  nineteen  vessels  which  surrounded  her. 
The  destruction  of  the  Philadelphia  not  only  wiped 
away  the  stain  of  losing  her,  in  the  first  instance, 
but  was  of  the  greatest  advantage  to  Commodore 

1  See  the  biography  of  Decatur. 
93 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

Preble  in  the  bombardment  of  Tripoli,  as  the 
frigate  would  have  been  a  formidable  addition 
to  the  defence  of  the  town. 

In  the  summer  of  1804,  his  preparations  being 
made,  Commodore  Preble  sailed  for  Tripoli,  where 
he  arrived  on  the  25th  of  July.  He  had  one 
frigate,  —  the  Constitution,  —  three  brigs,  three 
schooners,  two  bomb-vessels,  and  six  gunboats. 
With  these  he  had  to  reduce  an  enemy  fighting 
one  hundred  and  nineteen  great  guns  behind  a 
circle  of  forts,  with  a  fleet  of  a  gun-brig,  two 
schooners,  two  large  galleys,  and  nineteen  gun- 
boats, all  of  which  could  be  manoeuvred  both  in- 
side the  rocky  harbor  and  in  the  offing. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  August  the  four 
hundred  officers  and  men  of  the  Philadelphia, 
confined  in  the  dungeons  of  the  Bashaw's  castle, 
were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  the  American  flag 
in  the  offing,  and  soon  the  music  of  the  American 
guns  showed  them  that  their  comrades  were  bat- 
tling for  them.  On  that  day  began  a  series  of 
desperate  assaults  on  the  forts  and  war  ships  of 
Tripoli  that  for  splendor  and  effect  have  never 
been  excelled.  Preble  could  fire  only  thirty 
heavy  guns  at  once,  while  the  Tripolitans  could 
train  one  hundred  and  nineteen  on  the  Ameri- 
cans. During  all  these  bombardments,  while  the 
gunboats,  in  two  divisions,  were  engaging  the 
Tripolitan  gunboats,  running  aboard  of  them, 
with  hand-to-hand  fighting,  sinking  and  burning 

94 


EDWARD  PREBLE 

tliciii,  the  mighty  Constitution  would  come  into 
position  with  the  same  steadiness  as  if  she  were 
working  into  a  friendly  roadstead,  and,  thunder- 
ing out  her  whole  broadside  at  once,  would  deal 
destruction  on  the  forts  and  vessels.  In  vain  the 
Tripolitans  would  concentrate  their  fire  on  her. 
Throwing  her  topsail  back,  she  would  move  slowly 
when  they  expected  her  to  move  fast,  and  would 
carry  sail  when  they  expected  her  to  stand  still, 
and  her  fire  never  slackened  for  an  instant.  It 
was  after  this  first  day's  bombardment  that  the 
sailors  nicknamed  her  "  Old  Ironsides."  She 
and  her  company  seemed  to  be  invulnerable.  Es- 
capes from  calamity  were  many,  but  accidents 
were  few.  One  of  the  closest  shaves  was  when, 
in  the  midst  of  the  hottest  part  of  the  action,  a 
round  shot  entered  a  stern  port  directly  in  line 
of  Preble,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  him.  It 
struck  full  on  a  quarterdeck  gun,  which  it 
smashed  to  splinters,  that  flew  about  among  a 
crowd  of  officers  and  men,  wounding  only  one, 
and  that  slightly.  Had  it  gone  a  little  farther,  it 
would  have  cut  Preble  in  two. 

After  one  of  the  fiercest  of  the  boat  attacks  a 
collision  occurred  between  Preble  and  the  scarcely 
less  fiery  Decatur,  which  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable that  ever  occurred  in  a  man-of-war.  At 
the  close  of  the  attack  Decatur  came  on  board 
the  flagship  to  report.  Preble  had  been  watching 
him,  and  fully  expected  that  all  of  the  Tripolitan 

95 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

gunboats  would  be  captured.  But,  after  taking 
three  of  them,  Decatur  found  it  impossible  to 
do  more.  As  he  stepped  on  the  Constitution's 
deck,  still  wearing  the  round  jacket  in  which  he 
fought,  his  face  grimed  with  powder,  and  stained 
with  blood  from  a  slight  wound,  he  said  quietly 
to  Preble :  "  Well,  Commodore,  I  have  brought 
you  out  three  of  the  boats."  Preble,  suddenly 
catching  him  by  the  collar  with  both  hands,  shook 
him  violently,  and  shrieked  at  him  :  "  Aye,  sir, 
why  did  you  not  bring  me  more  ?  "  The  officers 
were  paralyzed  with  astonishment  at  the  scene, 
and  Decatur,  who  was  scarcely  less  fiery  than 
Preble,  laid  his  hand  upon  his  dirk.  Suddenly 
the  commodore  turned  abruptly  on  his  heel  and 
went  below.  Decatur  immediately  ordered  his 
boat,  and  declared  he  would  leave  the  ship  at  the 
instant ;  but  the  officers  crowded  around  him 
and  begged  him  to  wait  until  the  commodore  had 
cooled  down.  Just  then  the  orderly  appeared, 
with  a  request  that  he  should  wait  on  the  com- 
modore in  the  cabin.  Decatur  at  first  declared 
he  would  not  go,  but  at  last  was  reluctantly  per- 
suaded not  to  disobey  his  superior  by  refusing  to 
answer  a  request,  which  was  really  an  order.  At 
last  he  went,  sullen  and  rebellious.  He  stayed 
below  a  long  time,  and  the  officers  began  to  be 
afraid  that  the  two  had  quarrelled  worse  than 
ever.  After  a  while  one  of  them,  whose  rank  en- 
titled him  to   seek  the  commodore,  went  below 

96 


EDWARD  TREBLE 

and  tapped  softly  at  (he  cabin  door.  He  received 
no  answer,  when  lie  quietly  opened  the  door  a 
little.  There  sat  the  young  captain  and  the 
commodore  close  together,  and  both  in  tears. 
From  that  day  there  never  were  two  men  who  re- 
spected each  other  more  than  Preble  and  Decatur. 

For  more  than  a  month  these  terrific  assaults 
kept  up.  The  Bashaw,  who  had  demanded  a 
ransom  of  a  thousand  dollars  each  for  the  Phil- 
adelphia's men,  and  tribute  besides,  fell  in  his 
demands  ;  but  Preble  sent  him  word  that  every 
American  in  Tripolitan  prisons  must  and  should 
be  released  without  the  payment  of  a  dollar. 
The  Tripolitans  had  little  rest,  and  never  knew 
the  day  that  the  invincible  frigate  might  not  be 
pounding  their  forts  and  ships,  while  the  enter- 
prising flotilla  of  gunboats  would  play  havoc 
with  their  own  smaller  vessels.  The  Tripolitans 
had  been  considered  as  unequalled  hand-to-hand 
fighters  ;  but  the  work  of  the  Americans  on  the 
night  of  the  destruction  of  the  Philadelphia,  and 
the  irresistible  dash  with  which  they  grappled 
with  and  boarded  the  Tripolitan  gunboats,  dis- 
concerted, while  it  did  not  dismay,  their  fierce 
antagonists. 

Sometimes  the  squadron  was  blown  off,  and 
sometimes  it  had  to  claw  off  the  land,  but  it 
always  returned.  The  loss  of  the  Americans 
was  small ;  that  of  the  Tripolitans  great.  One  of 
the  American  gunboats  exploded,  and  a  terrible 

7  97 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

misfortune  happened  in  the  loss  of  the  ketch  In- 
trepid ^  and  her  gallant  crew.  Reinforcements 
were  promised  from  the  United  States,  which 
did  not  come  in  time,  and  Preble  met  with  all  the 
dangers  and  delays  that  follow  the  making  of 
war  four  thousand  miles  from  home ;  but  he  was 
the  same  indomitable  commander,  feared  alike 
by  his  enemies  and  his  friends.  On  the  10th  of 
September  the  President,  forty-four  guns,  and 
the  Constellation,  thirty-eight  guns,  arrived  ;  the 
John  Adams  had  come  in  some  days  before.  By 
one  of  those  strange  accidents,  so  common  in  the 
early  days  of  the  navy.  Commodore  Barron  had 
been  sent  out  in  the  President  to  relieve  Com- 
modore Preble  by  the  government  at  Washington, 
which,  in  those  days  of  slow  communication, 
knew  nothing  of  Preble's  actions,  except  that  he 
was  supposed  to  be  bombarding  Tripoli.  The 
season  of  active  operations  was  over,  however,  and 
nothing  could  be  done  until  the  following  summer. 
Meanwhile  the  Bashaw  had  a  very  just  apprehen- 
sion of  the  return  of  such  determined  enemies  as 
the  Americans  another  year,  and  gave  unmistak- 
able signs  of  a  willingness  to  treat.  To  that  he 
had  been  brought  by  Commodore  Preble  and  his 
gallant  officers  and  crews.  Knowing  the  work  to 
be  completed,  Preble  willingly  handed  over  his 
command  to  Commodore  Barron.  He  had  the 
pleasure  of  giving  Decatur,  then  a  post  captain, 

1  See  the  biography  of  Somers. 
98 


KDWAlll)   PREBLE 

the  temporary  coiiuikiik]  of  11  le  Constitution,  be- 
fore leaving  the  squadron,  he  reeeivcd  eveiy  testi- 
monial of  respect,  and  even  alTection,  from  the  very 
men  who  had  so  bitterly  complained  of  his  severe 
discipline  and  fiery  temper.  It  was  said  at  the 
time,  that  when  the  squadron  first  knew  him  he 
had  not  a  friend  in  it,  and  when  he  left  it  he 
had  not  an  enemy.  At  that  day  duelling  was 
common  among  the  privileged  classes  all  over 
the  western  world,  especially  wdth  army  and  navy 
officers ;  but  so  well  did  Commodore  Preble 
have  his  young  officers  in  hand  that  not  a  single 
duel  took  place  in  the  squadron  as  long  as  he 
commanded  it. 

The  younger  officers  were  supplied  with  an  end- 
less fund  of  stories  about  "  the  old  man's  "  out- 
bursts, and  delighted  in  telling  of  one  especial 
instance  which  convulsed  every  officer  and  man 
on  the  Constitution.  A  surgeon's  mate  was 
needed  on  the  ship,  and  a  little  Sicilian  doctor 
applied  for  the  place  and  got  it.  He  asked  the 
commodore  if  he  must  wear  uniform.  To  which 
the  commodore  replied,  "  Certainly."  Some  days 
afterward  the  commodore  happened  to  be  in  the 
cabin,  wearing  his  dressing-gown  and  shaving. 
Suddenly  a  gentleman  in  uniform  was  announced. 
Now,  in  those  days  flag  officers  wore  two  epau- 
lets, the  others  but  one,  and  the  commodore  him- 
self was  the  only  man  in  the  squadron  who  was 
entitled  to  wear  two.     But  the  strangrer  had  on 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

two  epaulets  ;  besides,  a  sword,  a  cocked  hat,  and 
an  enormous  amount  of  gold  lace. 

The  commodore  surveyed  this  apparition  si- 
lently, puzzled  to  make  out  who  this  imposing 
personage  was,  until,  with  a  smirk,  the  bedizened 
Sicilian  announced  himself  as  the  new  surgeon's 
mate.  Furious  at  his  presumption  in  appearing 
in  such  a  rig,  Preble  uttered  a  howl  of  rage, 
which  scared  the  Httle  doctor  so  that  he  fled  up 
on  deck,  closely  followed  by  the  commodore,  his 
face  covered  with  lather,  and  the  open  razor  still 
in  his  hand.  The  little  doctor  ran  along  the  deck, 
still  pursued  by  the  commodore  with  the  razor, 
until,  reaching  the  forward  end  of  the  ship,  the 
poor  Sicilian  sprang  overboard  and  struck  out 
swimming  for  the  shore,  and  was  never  seen  on 
the  ship  again. 

Preble  transferred  his  flag  to  the  John  Adams, 
and  visited  Gibraltar,  where  he  was  received 
with  distinction  by  the  British  ofiicers.  He  had 
many  friends  among  them,  especially  Sir  Alex- 
ander Ball,  one  of  Nelson's  captains;  and  the 
great  Nelson. himself  knew  and  admired  the  ser- 
vices of  the  Americans  before  Tripoli.  The 
Spaniards  and  Neapolitans,  who  had  suffered 
much  from  the  corsairs,  rejoiced  at  the  drubbing 
Preble  had  given  them,  and  at  the  prospect  that 
the  Americans  imprisoned  in  the  Bashaw's  castle 
would  soon  be  released.  The  Pope,  Pius  the 
Seventh,  said :  "  This  American  commodore  has 

100 


EDWARD  PREBLE 

done  more  to  humble  the  piratical  powers  of  the 
Barbary  coast  than  all  the  Christian  powers  of 
Europe  put  together." 

Preble  sailed  for  home  in  December,  1804,  and 
reached  Washington  the  4th  of  March,  1805,  the 
day  of  President  Jefferson's  first  inauguration. 
The  news  of  his  success  and  the  early  release 
of  the  Philadelphia's  officers  and  men  had  pre- 
ceded him.  Congress  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to 
him  and  the  officers  and  men  under  him.  President 
Jefferson,  although  of  the  opposite  party  in  poli- 
tics from  Preble,  offered  him  the  head  of  the 
Navy  Department,  but  it  was  declined.  Preble's 
health  had  steadily  grown  worse,  and  soon  after 
his  return  to  the  United  States  it  was  seen  that 
his  days  were  few.  He  lingered  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1807,  when  at  Portland,  Maine,  near  his 
birthplace,  he  passed  away,  calmly  and  resignedly. 
He  left  a  widow  and  one  child. 

Preble  was  in  his  forty-seventh  year  when  he 
died.  He  was  tall  and  slight,  of  gentlemanly 
appearance  and  polished  manners.  He  left  be- 
hind him  a  reputation  for  great  abilities,  used 
with  an  eye  single  to  his  country's  good,  and  a 
character  for  probity  and  courage  seldom  equalled 
and  never  surpassed. 


101 


STEPHEN   DECATUR 

Among  the  most  brilliant  and  picturesque  figures 
in  American  naval  history  stands  Stephen  Decatur. 
His  achievements  were  of  that  dashing  and  splen- 
did quality  which  leaves  a  blaze  upon  the  page  of 
history ;  and  the  greatest  of  them,  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Philadelphia  frigate  in  the  harbor  of 
Tripoli,  earned  from  Lord  Nelson  the  praise  of 
being  "the   most  bold   and jlaring  act   of  the 

age."     ^        :  '  -^":'^ 

Decatur  came  justly  by  his  genius  for  tlie  sea. 
His  father  was  a  captain  in  the  navy  of  the 
United  States,  and  his  grandfather  had  been  a 
French  naval  officer.  His  was  no  rude  struggle 
with  adversity.  The  child  of  gentle  people,  he 
entered  the  navy  in  1797,  with  every  advantage 
of  education  and  training.  He  was  then  eighteen 
years  of  age,  —  old  for  a  midshipman,  when  boys 
entered  at  thirteen  and  were  often  acting  lieuten- 
ants at  sixteen.  Decatur  was  a  handsome  man, 
tall  and  well  made. 

Although  of  a  disposition  the  most  generous, 
he  was  always  of  an  impetuous  and  even  domi- 
neering nature.  Strict  habits  of  self-control 
modified  this  impetuosity,  but  to  the  day  of  his 

102 


Stkphen    Decatur 


STEPHEN  DECATLK 

death  he  was  subject  to  gusts  of  teiuprr  whenever 
he  came  across  any  instance  of  cruehy  or  mean- 
ness or  oppression. 

A  famous  example  of  this  was  shown  shortly 
before  his  untimely  death.  He  was  then  at  the 
summit  of  his  fame,  one  of  the  ranking  officers  of 
the  navy,  a  navy  commissioner,  and  living  in 
grand  style  for  the  times  in  the  city  of  Washing- 
ton. He  had  a  favorite  dog,  and  one  day,  when 
the  dog  was  lying  quietly  asleep  on  the  doorstep 
of  Decatnr's  honse,  a  policeman  came  along  and 
wantonly  shot  the  poor  creature.  Decatur  hap- 
pened to  see  the  w^hole  affair,  and,  rushing  out, 
he  gave  the  policeman  then  and  there  a  terrific 
walloping.  The  policeman,  smarting  from  the 
injury  to  his  dignity  as  well  as  the  pounding  of 
his  bones,  swore  out  a  warrant,  and  Decatur  was 
commanded  to  appear  before  the  Mayor  of  Wash- 
ington. Furious  at  the  turn  of  affairs,  Decatur 
flatly  refused  to  obey  the  constable's  summons. 
In  vain  the  officer  pleaded  with  him  to  go  quietly. 
Decatur  would  not  budge  a  step.  At  last  the  man 
brought  a  posse  and  proceeded  to  take  him  by 
force.  Decatur  would  not  be  guilty  of  the  crime 
of  resisting  the  law,  but  he  proposed  to  let  them 
get  him  before  the  magistrate  the  best  way  they 
could.  He  not  only  would  not  walk  a  step,  but 
lay  down  on  the  floor,  and,  as  he  was  a  large  and 
heavy  man,  it  was  a  job  to  lift  him  up  and  put  him 
in  a  carriage  ;  but  at  last  it  was  accomplislied. 

103 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

By  the  time  they  reached  the  Mayor's  court, 
Decatur's  temper,  never  mild,  was  red  hot.  He 
proceeded  to  harangue  and  even  to  browbeat  the 
Mayor,  who  was  a  very  insignificant  person,  com- 
pared with  Commodore  Decatur.  At  the  first  blast, 
though,  the  Mayor  proved  that  he  had  a  spirit  of  his 
own.  "  Look  here,  Commodore,"  said  he,  "  when 
you  are  on  the  quarterdeck  of  your  ship  you  com- 
mand. I  '11  have  you  understand  that  this  court- 
room is  my  quarterdeck,  and  I  command  here,  and 
if  I  hear  another  disrespectful  word  from  you  I  '11 
send  you  to  jail  for  as  long  as  I  please."  Decatur, 
paralyzed  with  astonishment,  looked  at  the  Mayor 
for  a  long  time  ;  then,  suddenly  bursting  into  a 
shout  of  laughter,  apologized  for  his  behavior  and 
submitted  to  be  fined  for  thrashing  the  policeman. 

Such  was  the  man  through  life,  —  daring,  gen- 
erous, overbearing  sometimes,  but  always  respond- 
ing to  what  was  just  and  courageous  in  others. 

Decatur's  first  cruise  was  made  in  the  United 
States,  frigate,  forty-four  guns,  wearing  the  broad 
pennant  of  Commodore  Barry.  Charles  Stewart, 
afterward  the  celebrated  commodore,  was  one  of 
the  junior  lieutenants  of  the  ship,  and  the  heroic 
and  unfortunate  Richard  Somers  was  one  of  the 
midshipmen. 

Decatur  and  Somers  had  been  schoolmates  in 
Philadelphia,  and  the  association  formed  there 
was  cemented  into  a  devoted  friendship  in  the 
steerage  of  the  United  States.     No  two  natures 

104 


STEPHEN  DECATUR 

were  ever  more  dissimilar  than  that  of  the  iiiipct- 
uous  Decatur  and  the  gentle  and  retiring  but 
indomitable  Somers.  From  the  beginning  they 
were  actuated  by  a  noble  professional  rivalry  ;  yet 
their  close  and  affectionate  friendship  was  that  of 
brothers,  and  their  devotion  to  each  other  has 
become  a  tradition  in  the  navy. 

The  United  States  was  a  splendid  frigate,  fast 
and  weatherly,  and,  from  the  regularity  with 
which  she  made  time  on  her  cruises,  was  known 
as  "  Old  Wagoner."  Commodore  Barry  was  an 
old  officer  who  had  done  good  service  in  the 
Revolution,  and  when  he  took  command  of  the 
squadron  of  which  "  Old  Wagoner  "  was  the  flag- 
ship, he  sailed  at  once  for  the  West  Indies,  to 
retaliate  on  the  French  ships  which  had  preyed 
upon  American  commerce.  It  was  not  the  good 
fortune  of  the  United  States  to  meet  a  frigate 
of  equal  force,  so  that  her  men  and  their  mettle 
could  be  tried,  but  she  did  good  service  in  clear- 
ing out  the  French  privateers  which  infested 
those  seas.  Decatur  saw  much  active  cruising, 
and  gave  indications  of  that  dashing  courage, 
masterly  seamanship,  and  fertile  resource  which 
he  developed  the  instant  he  got  command  of  a  ship. 

He  made  several  cruises,  reached  his  lieu- 
tenancy, and  was  attached  to  the  Essex  when  she 
went  under  Captain  Bainbridge  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean, in  1802.  During  the  troubles  the  officers 
of  the  Essex  had,  at  Barcelona,  with  the  officers  of 

105 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

the  Spanish  guardship,  Decatur  was  conspicuous. 
Having  been  annoyed  and  insulted  by  the  Spanish 
officers,  on  his  way  to  and  from  his  ship,  he  went 
aboard  the  Spaniard,  and  asked  for  her  command- 
ing officer.  He  was  absent,  and  Decatur  left  this 
message,  which  he  shouted  out  in  his  tremendous 
voice,  on  the  Spanish  quarterdeck  :  ''  Tell  him  that 
Lieutenant  Decatur  of  the  Essex  declares  him  to 
be  a  scoundrelly  coward  ;  and  if  Lieutenant  Deca- 
tur meets  him  ashore,  he  will  cut  his  ears  off !  " 
A  duel  in  the  case  was  narrowly  averted. 

At  twenty-four  Decatur  got  his  first  command, 
the  Argus,  one  of  the  two  sixteen-gun  brigs  which 
were  to  assist  Commodore  Preble  in  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  Barbary  powers.  This  was  a  heavier 
vessel  than  a  young  officer  of  Decatur's  rank 
was  entitled  to,  and  he  was  given  the  command 
of  her  only  to  take  her  out  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, where  he  was  to  exchange  with  Isaac 
Hull,  then  a  lieutenant  commandant,  and  take 
Hull's  vessel,  the  Enterprise,  schooner,  of  twelve 
guns.  The  Enterprise,  like  the  great  frigates 
Constitution  and  Constellation,  was  a  favorite 
of  fortune.  She  had  a  glorious  record  for  so 
small  a  vessel,  and  fought  ten  spirited  actions 
during  her  career,  winding  up  with  the  capture 
of  the  Boxer  in  the  war  of  1812-15.  She  was 
lucky  also  in  escaping  many  times  from  superior 
force,  and  had  an  uninterrupted  course  of  suc- 
cess.     Her  good  fortune  really  consisted  in  the 

106 


STEPHEN  DECATUU 

people  who  manned  her,  and  the  officers  who 
commanded  her,  —  of  whom  Decatur  was  not  the 
least  distinguished.  He  had  the  good  fortune  to 
have  as  his  first  lieutenant  in  the  little  schooner 
James  Lawrence,  a  man  after  Decatur's  own  heart, 
who  was  worthy  of  his  ship  and  his  captain. 

Decatur  was  one  of  the  young  commanders 
who  took  part  in  the  council  of  war  called  hy 
Commodore  Preljle  at  Gibraltar,  in  the  autumn 
of  1803,  at  which  the  peppery  commodore  was  so 
disgusted  that  he  called  them  "  a  parcel  of  school- 
boys." But  most  of  them  were  shortly  destined 
to  immortality. 

After  collecting  his  force,  Preble  sailed  for 
Syracuse,  that  historic  city,  beautiful  in  its  decay. 
The  object  of  the  American  commander  was  to 
establish  a  base  of  supplies,  and  to  get  the  co- 
operation of  the  King  of  the  Two  Sicilies,  who 
was  also  at  war  with  the  Bashaw  of  Tripoli.  It 
was  while  at  Syracuse,  in  the  autumn  of  1803, 
that  the  plan  to  destroy  the  Philadelphia  in  the 
harbor  of  Tripoli  was  determined  upon.  The 
credit  of  the  original  idea  has  been  separately 
claimed  for  Preble,  Bainbridge,  and  Decatur ; 
and  the  fact  probably  is  that  it  occurred  at  prac- 
tically the  same  time  to  each  one  of  them.  Every 
one  of  Preble's  dashing  young  captains  desired 
the  honor  of  making  the  attempt,  and  the  fact 
that  Decatur  obtained  the  distinction  is  presump- 
tive proof  that  he  had  a  share  in  the  first  incep- 

107 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

tion  of  the  plan.  Stewart's  claim  to  a  part  in 
the  undertaking  was  so  strong  that  to  him  fell 
the  honor  of  supporting,  in  the  Siren,  Decatur's 
proposed  attack. 

In  order  to  look  over  the  ground,  Preble  in 
the  Constitution,  accompanied  by  Decatur  in  the 
Enterprise,  sailed  for  Tripoli,  in  December,  1803. 
Decatur,  with  his  characteristic  boldness,  offered 
to  make  the  attempt  with  the  Enterprise ;  but 
Commodore  Preble  prudently  concluded  to  use  a 
ketch,  the  Meshouda,  which  Decatur  had  lately 
captured  and  which  was  of  a  build  and  rig  com- 
mon in  Mediterranean  waters. 

As  Decatur  meant  to  get  inside  the  harbor  of 
Tripoli  by  stratagem,  it  was  important  to  have  a 
vessel  that  would  not  attract  attention.  The 
ketch  was  fittingly  renamed  the  Intrepid,  and 
preparations  were  begun  for  the  desperate  adven- 
ture with  her. 

Decatur  was  extremely  anxious,  as  was  Stewart, 
to  cut  the  Philadelphia  out;  but  Commodore 
Preble,  as  bold  as  they  were,  but  older  and  more 
prudent,  saw  the  insurmountable  difficulties  in 
the  way  of  bringing  so  large  a  ship  as  the  Phil- 
adelphia out  of  a  dangerous  and  unknown  harbor 
such  as  Tripoli.  He  therefore  gave  strict  orders 
that  no  attempt  should  be  made  to  carry  her  out, 
but  that  she  should  be  destroyed  at  her  moorings ; 
and  the  commodore  was  certain  to  be  obeyed. 

The  Intrepid  was  converted  into  a  fire-ship,  or 

108 


STEPHEN  DECATUR 

"  infernal."  She  was  filled  with  combustibles,  and 
it  was  designed  that  she  should  steal  in  at  night 
in  disguise,  throw  the  combustibles  into  the  PJiila- 
delphia,  fire  them,  and  then  make  a  race  for  her  life. 
The  nature  of  this  enterprise  required  men  of 
extraordinary  steadiness  as  well  as  courage ;  but 
they  could  be  easily  supplied  from  the  American 
squadron.  It  was  intended  to  man  and  officer 
the  Intrepid  as  far  as  possible  from  the  Enter- 
prise ;  and  in  pursuance  of  this,  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  3d  of  February,  1803,  all  hands  on 
the  Enterprise  were  called  up  and  aft.  Decatur 
then  stated  the  nature  of  the  service  for  which 
the  Intrepid  was  destined,  —  a  service  of  heroic 
possibilities  but  appalling  danger,  —  and  then 
called  for  sixty-two  volunteers.  Instead  of  sixty- 
two  men,  the  whole  ship's  company  down  to  the 
smallest  boy  volunteered  with  a  cheer.  This  was 
what  any  captain  would  have  desired,  and  Decatur 
was  forced  to  make  a  choice.  He  selected  sixty- 
two  of  the  youngest  and  most  active  men  in  the 
crew,  who  showed  their  gratification  by  saying, 
"Thankee,  sir,"  as  each  man  was  told  off.  He 
could  make  no  choice  among  his  lieutenants,  but 
took  them  all  —  Lawrence,  Joseph  Bainbridge,  and 
Thorn  —  and  one  of  his  midshipmen,  the  indomi- 
table Macdonough,  the  rest  being  necessarily  left 
to  take  care  of  the  ship.  He  was  compelled  to 
make  a  draft  of  junior  officers  from  the  Consti- 
tution, and  asked  for  midshipmen  Morris,  Laws, 

109 


TWELVE   XAVAL   CAPTAINS 

Izard,  Davis,  and  Howe.  There  was  also  a  sur- 
geon, Dr.  Heermann,  and  Salvatore  Catalano,  a 
Sicilian  pilot,  who,  in  return  for  his  services,  was 
made  a  master  in  the  American  navy,  and  had  an 
honorable  career  in  it. 

On  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  February  the 
Intrepid  sailed  upon  her  glorious  expedition, 
accompanied  by  the  Siren,  whose  character  as 
a  ship  of  war  was  thoroughly  concealed.  The 
ketch  was  to  pass  for  a  merchant  vessel  from 
Malta,  and  her  officers  had  the  costumes  of  Mal- 
tese sailors  in  which  to  disguise  themselves.  The 
two  vessels  reached  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of 
Tripoli  on  the  9tli  of  February,  but  a  terrific  storm 
arose,  which  drove  them  off.  For  six  days  they 
were  storm-tossed  in  the  gulf  of  Sydra,  but  on  the 
16th  of  February  they  found  themselves  together 
again  off  Tripoli.  The  evening  was  mild  and 
beautiful,  and  the  wind  was  so  light  that  the 
Siren  was  almost  becalmed  in  the  offing,  but 
the  Intrepid  met  a  vrandering  breeze  that  car- 
ried her  within  the  rocky  harbor.  Once  inside, 
a  good  breeze  was  blowing,  which  swept  them 
rapidly  forward,  and  threatened  to  bring  the 
Intrepid  up  with  the  Philadelphia  before  it  was 
quite  dark  enough  to  do  the  work  meant  for  her. 
As  it  would  not  do  to  excite  suspicion  by  taking 
in  sail,  Decatur  had  buckets  and  sails  towed  astern 
which  acted  as  a  drag,  and  brought  the  ketch  in 
very  slowly.  When  Decatur  noticed  that  the 
no 


STEPHEN  DECATUR 

Siren  in  the  ofiin<»-  liad  no  wind  and  cunscquently 
could  be  of  no  assistance  to  him,  he  remarked 
cheerfully  to  his  men,  "  Never  mind ;  the  fewer 
the  number  the  greater  the  glory." 

The  ketch  sailed  leisurely  in,  having  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  merchant  ship  from  a  Mediterra- 
nean port,  after  a  considerable  voyage. 

The  crew  had  been  sent  below,  and  only  a  few 
officers,  disguised  as  Maltese  sailors,  stood  or  sat 
about  the  deck.  Before  them  lay  the  Bashaw's 
castle,  with  its  menacing  battlements,  and  all 
around  the  harbor  was  a  chain  of  forts  that  could 
make  a  circle  of  fire  for  an  invader.  Directly 
under  the  guns  of  the  castle  loomed  the  tall  black 
hull  of  the  Philadelphia,  flying  the  piratical  flag  of 
Tripoli,  while  moored  near  her  wx're  three  smaller 
cruisers  and  nineteen  gunboats. 

The  moon  had  risen,  and  by  its  clear  illumina- 
tion tlie  "infernal"  steered  straight  across  the 
blue  waters  of  the  harbor  for  the  Philadelphia. 
When  about  two  hundred  yards  off,  Salvatore 
Catalano,  the  pilot,  hailed  the  Tripolitan  officer 
of  the  deck  on  the  Philadelphia,  who  lounged 
over  the  rail  smoking  a  long  pipe. 

"This  is  the  ketch  Stella,  from  Malta,"  he 
said  in  the  lingua  franca  of  the  East.  "  We  lost 
our  anchors  and  cables  in  the  gale,  and  would 
like  to  lie  by  you  during  the  night." 

"Your  request  is   unusual,  but  we  will  grant 
it/'  answered  the  Tripolitan  officer. 
Ill 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

The  officer  then  asked  what  vessel  it  was  that 
was  lying  in  the  offing.  The  pilot,  with  much 
readiness,  replied  that  it  was  the  Transfer,  a 
cruiser  lately  bought  from  the  British  by  the  Tri- 
politan  government,  and  which  was  daily  expected. 
This  answer  seemed  to  satisfy  the  Tripolitan,  and 
a  boat  then  put  off  from  the  Philadelphia  with 
a  fast,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  boat  also  put 
off,  under  the  command  of  Lawrence,  from  the 
Intrepid.  On  meeting,  Lawrence  coolly  took  the 
fast  from  the  Tripolitan  boat,  and  soon  had 
the  hawser  aboard  of  the  ketch.  A  moment  more 
and  the  supposed  Maltese  sailors,  in  their  jackets 
and  red  fezzes,  roused  on  the  hawser  and  breasted 
the  ketch  along  under  the  Philadelphia's  quar- 
ter. Had  the  slightest  suspicion  been  aroused 
then,  they  would  have  been  blown  out  of  the 
water  by  a  single  broadside.  But  the  Americans 
retained  their  coolness  in  their  desperate  situation. 

Presently  the  Intrepid  drew  out  from  the  black 
shadow  of  the  frigate's  hull  into  a  great  patch  of 
white  moonlight.  The  Tripolitans  saw  the  an- 
chors on  the  deck,  with  the  cables  coiled  around 
them.  Instantly  a  cry  rang  through  the  ship, 
"  Americanos  !  Americanos  !  " 

At  the  same  moment  the  Intrepid  came  grind- 
ing up  against  the  frigate's  stern  quarter,  and, 
as  if  by  magic,  was  alive  with  men.  Decatur 
shouted,  "  Board !  "  and  the  Americans  dashed 
at  the  frigate's  deck. 

112 


STEPHEN  DECATUR 

Decatur,  and  two  midshipmen,  Morris  and  Laws, 
leaped  at  the  same  moment  into  the  chain  plates. 
Decatur  and  Morris  made  a  spring  for  the  rail ; 
Decatur's  foot  slipped,  else  he  would  have  been 
first  upon  the  Philadelphia's  deck  ;  but  Morris, 
an  agile  young  midshipman,  was  a  moment  before 
him.  Midshipman  Laws  dashed  at  a  port,  and 
would  have  been  before  Morris  in  entering  the 
ship,  but  the  pistols  in  his  boarding-belt  caught 
for  a  moment  between  the  gun  and  the  j^ort,  and 
he  was  third  to  stand  upon  the  deck.  The  rest  of 
the  Americans  swarmed  into  the  ship. 

The  Tripolitans,  completely  surprised,  yet  fought 
desperately.  They  had  been  accounted  the  best 
hand-to-hand  fighters  in  the  world,  but  they  were 
no  match  for  the  Americans.  Within  fifteen 
minutes  every  one  of  them  had  been  cut  down 
or  driven  overboard,  and  the  Philadelphia  was 
once  more  an  American  ship.  Meanwhile  lights 
had  been  moving  about  on  shore,  and  the  vessels 
and  forts  saw  that  something  was  happening  on 
the  Philadelphia,  but  not  enough  could  be  seen 
to  justify  them  in  firing  on  their  own  ship.  In 
a  few  minutes  more,  though,  smoke  was  pouring 
from  the  ports,  and  flames  were  running  up  her 
tar-soaked  rigging.  The  Americans,  with  almost 
incredible  swiftness,  had  hoisted  powder  aboard 
the  ship  and  fired  her  in  a  dozen  places.  Two 
guns,  double-shotted,  were  dragged  amidships  and 
pointed  down  the  main  hatch  to  blow  her  bottom 

8  113 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

out.  They  then  leaped  into  the  ketch ;  but  at 
that  moment  the  most  awful  danger  of  that  ter- 
rible yet  glorious  night  awaited  them.  The  fast 
became  jammed,  and  the  jigger  of  the  ketch 
caught  fire  as  it  flapped  against  the  burning 
frigate,  while  below,  on  the  Intrepid's  deck,  lay 
all  her  powder  exposed.  The  officers,  undis- 
mayed however,  drew  their  swords  and  hacked  at 
the  hawser  until  it  parted.  Then,  under  sweeps 
and  sails,  the  Intrepid  made  for  the  offing,  the 
men  pulling  for  their  lives,  while  the  ships  and 
forts,  now  thoroughly  aroused,  opened  all  their 
batteries  on  this  daring  invader.  But  the  shot 
fell  short,  and  raised  only  showers  of  spray,  at 
which  the  Americans  laughed  and  jeered. 

The  Philadelphia  was  now  ablaze  from  rail  to 
truck,  and  sea  and  sky  were  lighted  up  by  the 
flames  of  the  burning  ship.  Her  guns  began  to 
go  off  as  the  fire  reached  them,  and  she  poured 
a  cannonade  from  every  quarter.  The  ketch  was 
plainly  visible  as  she  made  rapidly  for  the  offing, 
and  a  hundred  guns  were  trained  on  her.  At 
this  supreme  moment  the  Americans  gave  one 
last  proof  of  their  contempt  of  danger.  The  men 
stopped  rowing,  and  every  officer  and  man,  rising 
to  his  feet,  gave  three  thundering  American  cheers. 
Then  they  bent  to  their  oars  with  giant  strokes, 
and  in  a  little  while  were  safe  under  the  Siren's 
guns.  They  had  not  lost  a  man  in  the  glorious 
achievement. 

114 


STEPHEN   DECATUR 

The  Siren,  mcanwliilc,  in  the  orrin<^%  had  lioistcd 
out  her  boats,  and  was  ready  to  assist  the  In- 
trepid, in  case  she  needed  it.  The  progress  of 
the  ketch  was  plainly  visible  until  she  was  lost 
in  the  shadow  of  the  Philadelphia's  black  hull. 
In  a  few  minutes  a  single  rocket  skyward  showed 
the  anxious  watchers  that  the  Philadelphia  was 
boarded ;  and  almost  at  once  the  blaze  rushed 
up  the  rigging,  and  enveloped  the  tall  hull,  light- 
ing up  the  night  with  a  lurid  glare,  while  the 
guns  of  the  doomed  frigate  and  those  of  the  cas- 
tle, the  ships,  and  the  forts  thundered  out.  Then 
they  knew  that  the  great  enterprise  was  accom- 
plished. The  boats  pulled  toward  the  harbor 
entrance ;  soon  the  ketch  had  shot  across  the 
illuminated  water,  and  had  reached  them.  Deca- 
tur, jumping  into  one  of  the  Siren's  boats,  was 
quickly  pulled  toward  the  brig.  Stewart,  stand- 
ing in  the  gangway,  saw  the  boat  approach,  and 
a  man,  in  a  sailor's  round  jacket  and  a  fez,  sprang 
over  the  gangway,  into  his  arms.    It  was  Decatur. 

Fifteen  days  after  leaving  Syracuse,  the  ketch 
and  the  brig  were  seen  standing  in  the  harbor, 
the  signal  of  success  flying  from  the  Intrepid's 
masthead.  For  this  splendid  adventure  Decatur 
was  made  a  post-captain,  his  commission  dating 
from  the  16th  of  February,  and  the  officers  and 
men  were  rewarded. 

Before,  however,  receiving  his  commission, 
Decatur  was  yet  to  do  gloriv)ns  things  in  the  bom- 

115 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

bardment  of  Tripoli  during  the  following  summer. 
Commodore  Preble,  in  arranging  the  boat  attacks, 
which  he  supported  by  the  batteries  of  the  "  Old 
Ironsides,"  and  all  his  brigs  and  schooners, 
gave  the  command  of  the  right  division  to  Rich- 
ard Somers,  Decatur's  bosom  friend,  and  the  left 
division  to  Decatur.  On  the  2d  of  August  the 
first  attack  was  made.  The  Tripolitans  had  a 
flotilla  of  fourteen  gunboats  to  resist  the  six  the 
Americans  could  muster  ;  and  they  had,  in  reserve, 
behind  the  rocks  in  the  harbor,  five  more  gun- 
boats and  several  heavy  galleys,  besides  their 
forts,  batteries,  and  larger  clubs.  The  attack  was 
begun  about  half  past  one  in  the  afternoon,  the 
whole  force  standing  in ;  the  Constitution  ap- 
proaching as  close  as  possible  and  pouring  in 
many  broadsides  against  the  forts,  the  brigs  and 
schooners  supporting  the  gunboats,  while  the 
latter  dashed  at  the  Tripolitan  gunboats  and  gal- 
leys with  a  swiftness  and  impetuosity  that  were 
simply  tremendous.  The  attack  soon  assumed  a 
character  of  hand-to-hand  fighting  that  is  seldom 
seen  in  modern  days.  Decatur's  own  vessel  laid 
aboard  a  large  Tripolitan  gunboat,  and  in  spite  of 
the  most  desperate  resistance,  grappled  with  her. 
She  was  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  long  narrow 
hatchway,  and  in  this  the  Tripolitans  mustered 
to  drive  back  the  Americans  when  they  entered. 
Immediately  Decatur  was  over  the  side,  followed 
by  his  lieutenant,  Mr.  Thorne,  by  Macdonough, 

116 


STEPHEN   DECATUR 

and  all  the  Americans  in  the  gunboat's  crew. 
They  advanced  together  with  pikes  and  cutlasses, 
and  then  ensued  a  contest,  man  to  man,  figliting 
every  inch  of  the  way,  which  resulted  in  cutting 
down  or  driving  overboard  every  Tripolitan  officer 
and  man. 

Just  as  the  Tripolitan  ensign  was  hauled 
down,  it  w^as  seen  that  James  Decatur,  Decatur's 
younger  brother,  who  was  in  command  of  another 
gunboat  and  had  carried  her  into  action  with 
great  spirit,  had  fallen  by  a  shot  from  a  Tri- 
politan which  had  surrendered  and  then  basely 
resumed  firing.  James  Decatur  was  carried  aboard 
the  Constitution  to  die,  but  it  Avas  no  time  to 
indulge  in  private  griefs  ;  and  Decatur,  without 
knowing  whether  his  brother  were  living  or  dead, 
turned  upon  the  next  foe.  This  was  another 
gun-vessel,  which  was  commanded  by  a  gigantic 
Tripolitan,  who  seemed  to  court  rather  than  avoid 
a  hand-to-hand  contest  with  the  Americans. 

Decatur  ran  him  aboard,  and  then  with  a 
cheer  the  Americans  leaped  into  the  gunboat. 
Seeing  the  force  with  which  they  had  to  contend, 
Decatur  waited  until  his  men  could  form  a  line. 
They  then  advanced  resolutely,  led  by  their  offi- 
cers. They  were  greatly  outnumbered,  but  by 
standing  together  they  made  the  most  of  their 
number.  The  Tripolitan  captain  and  Decatur 
soon  met  face  to  face.  The  Tripolitan,  a  much 
larger   and   more   powerful   man   than    Decatur, 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

stood  on  tiptoe  to  deal  a  more  tremendous  blow. 
Decatur  rushed  at  liim  with  a  pike.  The  Tripoli- 
tan  wrenched  the  pike  from  him,  and  raised  it  to 
strike.  Decatur  then  drew  his  sword,  and  in 
trying  to  parry  the  pike,  the  sword  broke  off  at 
the  hilt,  and  the  pike  entered  Decatur's  breast. 
Pulling  it  out,  he  grappled  with  the  Tripolitan, 
and  both  came  to  the  deck  together.  The 
Tripolitan  attempted  to  draw  his  dagger  ;  but 
Decatur,  firmly  grasping  his  arm,  managed  to 
get  a  small  pistol  from  his  pocket,  and  fired  it. 
With  a  scream  the  Tripolitan  relinquished  his 
hold  and  rolled  over.  As  Decatur  rose  to  his 
feet,  another  Tripolitan  raised  his  sword ;  as  the 
blow  was  about  to  descend  on  Decatur's  head, 
Reuben  James,  a  powerful  young  sailor,  threw  up 
his  arm,  and  took  the  blow,  which  almost  severed 
his  arm  from  his  body.  The  Americans  were 
now  beginning  to  get  a  little  the  advantage  ;  and 
by  coolness  and  resolution  they  were  soon  enabled 
to  get  possession  of  the  gunboat.  The  Tripoli- 
tan loss  showed  the  nature  of  the  fighting,  fifty- 
two  men  being  killed  and  wounded  out  of  a  total  of 
eighty  in  the  two  captured  gunboats.  The  loss  of 
the  Americans  was  relatively  small,  owing  to  their 
plan  of  standing  together  and  attacking  as  a  body.^ 
Four  more  of  these  ferocious  attacks,  combined 

1  It  was  after  this  attack  tliat  the  celebrated  scene  occurred  in 
the  Constitution  between  Decatur  and  Commodore  Preble,  as 
related  in  Preble's  life. 

118 


8TKPiii-:x  ])kcati;r 

witli  a  terrific  ciiiinonadc  from  the  Constitu- 
tion, and  tlie  assistance  from  the  brigs  and 
schooners,  lost  the  Tripolitans  many  of  their 
most  serviceable  craft,  and  made  those  that  were 
left  very  shy  of  coming  outside  the  reefs  to  meet 
the  "  Americanos."  The  great  guns  on  the  Con- 
stitution had  knocked  to  pieces  many  of  the 
more  exposed  land  batteries,  and  brought  down 
the  Bashaw's  tone  immeasurably.  He  was  then 
anxious  to  negotiate,  but  Commodore  Preble 
would  listen  to  nothing  but  the  unconditional 
surrender  of  Bainbridge  and  his  men. 

The  loss  of  the  Americans  was  small  in  num- 
bers but  great  in  value  during  the  bombardment, 
and  was  confined  chiefly  to  the  gunboats.  In 
the  second  attack,  on  the  7th  of  August,  one  of 
the  American  gunboats  blew  up,  killing  her 
brave  commander,  Lieutenant  Caldwell,  and  sev- 
eral others.  When  the  smoke  cleared  away 
after  the  awful  explosion,  it  was  seen  that  the 
forward  part  of  the  vessel  still  floated.  On  it 
was  the  long  twcnty-six-pounder,  which  was  her 
chief  weapon,  and  which  the  gun's  crew,  directed 
by  Midshipman  Spence,  had  just  loaded.  With 
as  much  coolness  as  if  there  had  been  a  whole 
vessel  instead  of  a  half  one  beneath  them,  the 
gun  was  fired,  the  eleven  men  on  the  wreck  gave 
three  cheers,  led  by  the  midshipman,  and  then 
sprang  into  the  water.  All  were  picked  up,  and 
fought  during  the  rest  of  the  action. 

119 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

There  was  another  attack  on  the  28th  of 
August,  and  again  on  the  3d  of  September. 
In  this  last  the  Constitution  bore  the  brunt 
of  the  Tripolitan  fire,  and  did  fearful  execution 
with  her  heavy  guns.  And  on  the  4!]i  of  Sep- 
tember occurred  the  terrible  tragedy  of  the  blow- 
ing up  of  the  ketch  Intrepid/ 

The  beginning  of  the  autumn  marked  the  end 
of  the  season  for  active  operations,  and  the  Amer- 
ican squadron  withdrew,  with  a  promise  to  return 
the  next  season  and  do  yet  more  damage,  —  a 
calamity  which  the  Bashaw  avoided  by  promptly 
giving  up  the  American  prisoners  the  next  spring, 
when  the  Americans,  true  to  their  word,  returned 
in  greater  force.  A  relief  squadron  which  had 
been  sent  out  from  the  United  States  arrived 
just  at  the  close  of  the  campaign  before  Tripoli. 
It  brought  out  Decatur's  commission  as  a  post- 
captain,  as  well  as  lesser  promotions  for  the  other 
young  commanding  officers.  Commodore  Preble, 
on  being  relieved  by  Commodore  Barron,  turned 
over  the  Constitution  to  Decatur,  who  thus,  at 
twenty-five,  commanded  what  was  probably  the 
finest  frigate  in  the  world.  His  rank,  however, 
as  the  youngest  post-captain  in  the  navy  did  not 
entitle  him  to  keep  her  very  long,  and  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Congress,  a  smart  thirty- 
eight-gun  frigate.  She  was  in  the  squadron  of 
Commodore  Rodgers,  which,  after  the  humbling 

1  See  tlie  biography  of  Richard  Somers, 
120 


STEPHEN   DECATUR 

of  Tripoli,  was  engaged  in  bringing  the  Bey  of 
Tunis  to  terms.  Commodore  Rodgers  sent  Deca- 
tur, who  was  well  known  to  the  heads  of  Barbary 
powers,  to  negotiate  a  treaty  with  Tunis.  The  Bey 
at  first  refused  to  receive  him.  Decatur  returned 
to  his  ship,  which  was  cleared  for  action,  and 
sent  a  message  saying  that  the  Bey  must  de- 
cide at  once  between  w^ar  and  peace.  The  Bey 
succumbed  immediately,  and  not  only  begged 
for  peace,  but  asked  that  the  Congress  should 
convey  a  Tunisian  envoy  to  the  United  States. 
This  was  rather  more  than  Decatur  had  bargained 
for,  particularly  as  he  had  to  give  up  a  part  of  his 
quarters  to  the  Tunisian  envoy  and  his  suite. 
But  having  succeeded  rather  better  than  he  ex- 
pected, Decatur  took  the  party  on  board  and 
returned  to  the  United  States,  reaching  home 
in  1805. 

lie  was  received  with  praise,  admiration,  and 
the  highest  personal  and  official  favor.  He  was 
given  good  commands,  and  a  few  years  after  he 
had  gone  out  to  the  Mediterranean  to  command 
a  little  twelve-gun  schooner,  he  again  went  out 
in  command  of  a  splendid  squadron,  his  broad 
pennant  flying  on  the  mighty  Constitution.  He 
was  sent  to  demand  reparation  from  the  Dey  of 
Algiers  for  certain  injuries  to  American  citizens. 
The  American  consul  went  in  person  to  see  the 
Dey,  who  sat  in  state,  looking  through  the  open 
window  at  the  formidable  force  w^iih  which  Deca- 

121 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

tur  was  prepared  to  enforce  his  demands.  The 
consul  began  by  saying,  significantly,  that  the 
squadron  was  commanded  by  Commodore  Deca- 
tur. The  Dey,  gravely  combing  his  beard  with 
a  diamond  comb,  said :  "  I  know  this  Decatur. 
He  is  the  man  who  burnt  the  frigate  at  Tripoli. 
Hum !  Why  do  the  Americans  send  wild  young 
men  to  treat  with  old  powers  ? "  Nevertheless,  he 
very  promptly  gave  all  the  satisfaction  demanded 
by  the  "wild  young  man." 

On  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  with  Great 
Britain  in  1811-12,  Decatur  got  the  command 
of  the  United  States,  —  "  Old  Wagoner,"  the 
stanch  and  weatherly  frigate  in  which  he  had 
made  his  first  cruise  with  his  beloved  Somers. 
In  her  he  made  the  second  capture  of  a  frigate 
in  that  war,  Hull  having  preceded  him  in  the  cap- 
ture of  the  Guerri^re  by  the  Constitution. 

Off  Madeira,  on  the  25th  of  October,  the 
United  States  sighted  the  Macedonian,^  a  mag- 
nificent thirty-eight-gun  frigate,  commanded  by 
Captain  Garden.  Decatur  and  Garden  were  per- 
sonal friends,  and  before  the  war  broke  out 
had  often  discussed  the  relative  fighting  powers 
of  their  ships.     Decatur's  black  servant  had  lis- 

1  As  in  the  case  of  the  figlit  of  the  Constitution  with  the  Guer- 
ri^re  and  the  Java,  the  Macedonian  was  a  lighter  ship,  with  fewer 
men  and  guns  than  the  Constitution.  But  the  execution  done 
in  every  case  was  far  beyond  the  difference  between  the  Ameri- 
can ship  and  her  antagonist. 

122 


STEPHEN  DECATUR 

tciicd  to  these  talks  as  he  stood  behind  his 
master's  chair.  Captain  Garden  frequently  said, 
''  No,  my  dear  Decatur.  Your  men  are  brave, 
but  not  experienced ;  and  when  they  meet  a 
British  ship  of  equal  force,  with  the  best  inten- 
tions to  do  their  duty,  they  will  not  know  how 
to  fight."  Cuffee  remembered  this,  and  as  soon 
as  it  was  known  on  "  Old  Wagoner  "  that  the 
approaching  frigate  was  the  Macedonian,  he  very 
prudently  retired  to  the  lower  hold,  and  hid  be- 
hind a  hogshead. 

The  action  began  with  the  greatest  spirit  on 
both  sides,  the  ships  keeping  up  a  furious  cannon- 
ade at  close  quarters,  with  a  heavy  sea  on  and  a 
good  breeze  blowing.  The  Americans  showed 
great  superiority  in  gunnery,  and  although  the 
British  fought  with  a  gallantry  worthy  of  Brit- 
ish tars,  and  their  officers  nobly  encouraged 
them  by  word  and  example,  in  seventeen  min- 
utes from  the  time  the  first  broadside  struck  the 
Macedonian  all  was  over,  and  her  colors  were 
hauled  down.  She  had  suffered  terribly,  more 
than  a  third  of  her  men  being  killed  and  wounded. 
She  lost  so  many  men  at  the  guns  that  the  ma- 
rines were  called  upon  to  work  the  batteries.  On 
the  American  ship  only  twelve  men  were  killed 
and  wounded,  and  the  marines  during  the  whole 
battle  were  drawn  up  in  the  waist  of  the  ship, 
with  nothing  to  do.  This,  however,  was  much 
more  trying  than  fighting,  as  they  had  to  stand 

123 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

as  if  they  were  on  parade,  while  shot  and  shell 
screamed  a  few  inches  above  their  heads.  The 
men,  however,  showed  the  utmost  steadiness,  and 
acted  as  well  as  looked  as  if  they  were  merely  at 
Sunday  morning  quarters.  When  the  Macedo- 
nian struck,  it  was  plain  from  the  way  she  was 
cut  up  that  she  had  made  a  good  and  gallant 
defence.  As  Captain  Garden  came  over  the  side, 
he  offered  his  sword  to  Decatur,  who  refused  to 
take  it,  saying,  — 

"  I  cannot  take  the  sword  of  a  man  who  has 
so  bravely  defended  his  ship." 

The  solemn  silence  of  the  occasion  was  broken 
by  Cuffee,  who,  the  danger  being  over,  had 
crawled  up  out  of  the  hold,  and  appeared  upon 
the  quarterdeck  at  that  moment,  just  in  time  to 
bawl  out, — 

"  I  say,  Marse  Garden,  what  you  tliink  now 
'bout  de  way  dem  'Mericans  fights !  " 

It  was  several  weeks  before  the  United  States 
reached  home,  and  during  that  time  Captain 
Garden  was  Decatur's  guest  in  the  cabin.  De- 
catur's first  letter  to  his  wife  after  the  capture 
of  the  Macedonian  says  :  "  All  my  pleasure  is 
spoiled  by  poor  Garden's  sorrow;"  for  Captain 
Garden  knew  nothing  of  the  previous  capture 
of  the  Guerriere  and  of  the  Java,  which  fol- 
lowed shortly  after,  and  thought  himself  to  be 
the  first  and  only  English  captain  who  had  sur- 
rendered   his   ship.      On    reaching    the    United 

124 


STEPHEN   DECATUR 

States,  Decatur  and  his  oflicers  received  the 
thanks  of  Congress,  and  a  gold  medal  for  their 
gallant  conduct. 

Decatur  had  looked  forward  to  another  active 
cruise  in  "  Old  Wagoner,"  but  he  soon  found  him- 
self penned  up  at  New  London  by  a  large  blockad- 
ing force.  Decatur's  impetuous  nature  fretted 
and  chafed  under  this,  and  in  1814,  realizing 
the  impossibility  of  the  United  States  getting  to 
sea,  he  got  command  of  the  President,  of  forty- 
four  guns,  then  lying  at  New  York.  Decatur 
took  command  of  her  with  bright  anticipations. 
New  York  bay  was  closely  watched  by  British 
cruisers,  but  Decatur  had  no  fears  that  he  should 
not  be  able  to  get  out.  Accordingly,  on  a  dark  and 
stormy  night  in  January,  1814,  he  picked  up  his 
anchor,  and  made  for  the  open  sea ;  but  before 
daylight  the  pilots  had  run  the  frigate  aground 
near  Sandy  Hook,  where  for  an  hour  and  a  half 
she  lay  pounding  on  the  bar.  She  got  off  by  the 
rising  of  the  tide,  but  she  was  so  hagged  and 
twisted  that  her  back  was  nearly  broken,  her 
masts  sprung,  and  her  sailing  qualities  so  im- 
paired that  she  stood  but  a  small  chance  of  escape 
should  she  fall  in  with  an  enemy.  Unable  by 
reason  of  the  wind  to  return  to  New  York  for 
repairs,  the  President  proceeded  to  sea,  and  by 
daylight  found  herself  surrounded  by  a  British 
squadron,  consisting  of  the  Majestic,  razee,  and 
the  Endymion,  of  forty  guns,  and  the  Tenedos 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

and  Njmpli,  light  frigates.  Then  began  a  fight 
as  well  as  a  race  for  life,  which  lasted  thirty 
hours.  The  Endymion  got  near  enough  for  a 
bloody  contest,  in  which  she  was  badly  crippled 
and  left  behind,  the  President  making  a  des- 
perate though  lame  attempt  at  flight  from  her 
antagonists.  But  it  was  in  vain.  The  Tenedos 
and  Nymph  gained  on  her,  and  it  was  soon 
known  to  all  on  board  that  the  President  was 
a  doomed  ship.  Three  of  her  five  lieutenants 
lay  dead  upon  her  decks,  while  among  the  mor- 
tally wounded  was  Midshipman  Richard  Dale, 
son  of  the  famous  Commodore  Dale,  of  Revo- 
lutionary fame.  The  killed  and  wounded  among 
the  crew  were  numerous,  and  Decatur  himself 
received  a  painful  injury. 

His  people,  who  had  never  seen  him  except  in 
the  light  of  triumph  and  success,  were  curious  to 
observe  how  he  would  stand  impending  defeat. 
But  never  was  he  calmer  and  cooler.  At  one 
time,  seeing  he  could  handle  the  Endymion 
alone,  he  formed  the  desperate  plan  of  boarding 
her,  transferring  his  people  to  her,  and  abandon- 
ing the  President.  The  proposition  was  received 
with  cheers.  One  of  his  youngest  midshipmen,^ 
a  lad  of  fourteen,  said  out  aloud,  in  Decatur's 
hearing,  — 

"  I  never  can  get  over  the  side  of  that  ship,  as 
small  as  I  am." 

1  The  late  Captaiu  Foxhall  Pavker,  1st. 
126 


STEPHEN   DECATUR 

''  Oh,  yes,  you  can,"  replied  Decatur,  smil- 
ing. "  I  will  pick  you  up  and  throw  you  over 
myself." 

The  Endymion,  seeing  that  the  President  must 
be  shortly  overpowered  by  the  rest  of  the  squad- 
ron, very  sensibly  refused  to  close,  and  fell  out 
of  the  chase  in  a  helpless  condition,  every  sail 
being  shot  away  fi'oni  her. 

It  was  now  night,  and  the  President  hoped 
to  escape  in  the  darkness,  which  was  extreme. 
But  about  eleven  o'clock  the  Pomone  ranged  up 
under  her  lee  and  poured  in  a  broadside,  while 
the  Tenedos  was  closing  in  on  the  weather  quar- 
ter, and  the  Majestic  was  within  gunshot  astern. 
The  President  hauled  her  colors  down,  and  De- 
catur offered  his  sword  to  Captain  Hayes  of  the 
Majestic,  the  ranking  officer  present.  It  was 
refused  in  the  same  noble  words  which  Decatur 
had  used  toward  Captain  Carden :  "  I  cannot 
accept  the  sword  of  a  man  who  has  so  bravely 
defended  his  ship." 

Decatur  was  taken  to  Bermuda,  where  he  was 
received  with  the  highest  distinction  by  the  great 
Admiral,  Lord  Cochrane,  and  all  of  the  British 
officers.  At  a  splendid  dinner  given  him  by  the 
British  naval  officers,  some  one  was  tactless 
enough  to  allude  to  the  capture  of  the  President, 
at  which  Lord  Cochrane  promptly  said,  — 

"  The  President  was  mobbed,  sir,  —  simply 
mobbed." 

127 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

Decatur  and  his  officers  were  soon  paroled,  and 
sent  home  in  a  special  frigate.  Peace  was  de- 
clared a  few  days  after,  and  at  New  London, 
where  Decatur  was  landed,  there  was  a  grand 
celebration  of  the  treaty  of  peace,  on  the  22d 
of  February.  The  British  frigate  in  which  he 
had  been  returned  took  part  in  the  celebration, 
and  the  British  and  Americans  united,  as  gener- 
ous enemies  who  have  become  friends  should  in 
observing  the  glorious  occasion. 

After  the  peace,  Decatur  hoisted  his  broad  pen- 
nant on  the  Guerriere,^  and  commanded  a  fine 
squadron  in  the  Mediterranean,  where  his  name 
was  always  a  power.  On  his  return  from  this 
cruise  he  was  made  one  of  the  three  navy 
commissioners  who  were  at  the  head  of 
the  Navy  Department  in  those  days.  He  had 
amassed  a  comfortable  fortune,  and  built  a  fine 
house  in  Washington,  near  the  White  House, 
and  had  apparently  entered  upon  a  long  career 
of  peace  and  prosperity;  but  it  was  not  to 
be. 

It  is  distressing  to  chronicle  the  melancholy 
end  of  so  glorious  a  life.  In  those  days  duel- 
ling was  thought  justifiable  and  even  obligatory 
on  occasions.  Decatur  lost  his  life  in  March, 
1820,  near  Washington,  in  a  duel  with  Com- 
modore Barron,  concerning  some  things  he  had 

1  Not  the  original  sliip,  captured  and  blown  up  by  Commodore 
Hull,  but  one  built  and  named  for  her. 
128 


STP:PIIEN   DECATUR 

said  about  Barron  many  years  before.  ITis 
death  and  the  manner  of  it  were  universally 
deplored,  and  when  the  anxious  multitude  who 
surrounded  his  house  in  Washington  was  told 
that  he  was  no  more,  Reuben  James,  the  old 
sailor  who  had  once  saved  Decatur's  life  at  the 
risk  of  his  own,  cried  out,  "  The  navy  has  lost 
its  mainmast." 

Decatur  was  the  author  of  that  patriotic  say- 
ing which  is  heard  from  many  American  lips 
and  is  deeply  engraved  in  every  American  breast : 
*'  My  country,  may  she  always  be  right ;  but,  right 
or  wrong,  my  country  !  " 


129 


RICHARD   SOMERS 

The  name  and  fame  of  Richard  Somers  will 
always  be  of  tender  and  regretful  interest.  His 
gentle  and  lovable  character,  his  quiet,  undaunted 
courage,  the  daring  enterprise  in  which  he  lost  his 
life  at  the  early  age  of  twent3'-four,  all  unite  in 
making  him  one  of  those  young  heroes  who  are 
never  forgotten.  As  he  died  young,  so  must  he 
ever  remain,  a  figure  of  heroic  youth,  untouched 
by  age  or  time,  illumined  by  a  melancholy  glory. 
Few  circumstances  of  Somers's  early  life  are 
known.  Of  a  singularly  modest  and  reserved 
nature,  he  seldom  spoke  of  himself,  and  beyond 
the  bare  facts  of  his  boyhood  and  young  manhood, 
little  has  been  gleaned  by  his  various  biographers. 
His  father  was  a  man  of  standing  and  importance, 
and  represented  his  district  in  New  Jersey  in  the 
Colonial  Congress.  Somers  Point,  opposite  Cape 
May,  was  the  family  property.  Richard  Somers, 
the  youngest  of  his  father's  children,  was  born  in 
Philadelphia  in  1779,  whither  his  family  had 
removed.  It  is  said  that  his  father  was  a  firm 
friend  and  supporter  of  General  Washington  from 
the  beginning  of  his  command  of  the  Continen- 
tal army,  and  that  Washington   bestowed  much 

130 


Kk'IIAUI)     S(»Mi;i;> 


KR'IIAUI)   SOMERS 

kindly  notice  upon  (lie  Ind,  IJicliard  Somcrs. 
Among  Soniors's  })OSScssions  was  a  rin,i,%  wliich  he 
valued  highly,  containing  the  hair  of  Washington. 

The  boy  went  to  a  "dame's  school"  in  Phila- 
delphia with  Stephen  Decatur;  and  there  hegan 
that  devoted  friendship  which  lasted  through 
Somers's  brief  life.  No  two  natures  were  ever 
more  contrasted  than  Somers  and  Decatur.  Som- 
ers  was  mild  in  the  extreme,  of  the  gentlest  man- 
ners, silent,  and  somewdiat  reserved.  Decatur  was 
a  young  volcano  in  energy,  and  pursued  all  his 
objects  in  life  with  a  fire  and  impetuosity  almost 
inconceivable.  The  affection  between  the  two 
seemed  to  be  something  deeper  and  stronger  than 
brotherhood,  and  joined  with  it  was  a  professional 
rivalry  that  only  such  an  affection  could  have 
prevented  from  becoming  enmity. 

Somers  was  left  an  orphan  when  a  lad  not  more 
than  twelve  years  old.  He  had,  however,  an  uncle 
who  was  a  second  father  to  him,  and  he  inherited 
a  respectable  property.  There  is  no  record  of 
Somers  having  gone  to  sea  before  he  received 
his  appointment  as  midshipman,  of  the  same  date 
as  Decatur's,  1798.  But  a  number  of  circum- 
stances indicate  that  he  was  already  a  capable 
seaman  when  he  got  his  midshipman's  warrant 
to  the  United  States,  frigate  of  forty-four  guns. 
He  was  made  master's  mate  of  the  hold  almost 
immediately  on  joining  the  shij),  a  place  given 
the   steadiest  and   readiest  of   the   midshipmen, 

131 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

and  it  is  assumed  that  lie  would  not  have  been 
selected  had  he  not  known  something  of  his 
profession. 

The    United    States,   which    wore    the    broad 
pennant  of  Commodore  Barry,  was  engaged  in 
active  cruising  in  the  West  Indies  during  the  hos- 
tilities with  France  in  1799-1801,  but  never  came 
to  close  quarters  with  a  ship  of  her  own  size  during 
the  cruise.     Somers  seems  to  have  won  the  good- 
will of  every  one  on  board,  including  Commodore 
Barry  and  the  future  Commodore  Stewart,  who 
was  the  first  lieutenant.    Somers's  mildness  seems 
to  have  been  misunderstood  for  weakness,  and  on 
hearing  of   some   aspersions  upon   liim,  Somers 
determined,  in  his  cool  and  deliberate  manner,  to 
show  the   stuff  that  was  in  him.     Duelling  w^s 
then  a  common  practice  among  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy,  as  well  as  among  all  those  who 
classed  themselves  as  gentlemen.     Somers  there- 
fore challenged  three  of  his  tormentors  among 
the  midshipmen,  and  arranged  that  the  three  duels 
should  be  fought  one  immediately  after  another. 
Decatur  was  to  be  his  second  in  all  tliese  affairs, 
and  it  is  a  grotesque  circumstance  that  the  origin 
of  the  reflections  cast  on  Somers   was  from  the 
unresenting  way  with  which  he  put  up  with  Deca- 
tur's chaff. 

In  the  first  two  duels  Somers  received  two 
slight  wounds  which  prevented  him  from  stand- 
ing  up.      Decatur   eagerly   insisted   upon   being 

132 


RICHARD    SOMERS 

allowed  to  take  Somcrs's  place  after  the  first 
hurt  received  by  Somers ;  but  Somers  refused, 
and  exchanged  shots  for  the  third  time,  sitting 
on  the  ground  and  held  up  in  the  arras  of  Deca- 
tur. It  was  the  first  and  last  time  that  his  cour- 
age was  ever  dou])ted,  and  his  peace-loving  and 
gentle  nature  was  esteemed  at  its  true  value  ever 
afterward. 

In  1801  the  United  States  returned  home, 
and  Somers's  next  orders  were  to  the  Boston, 
of  twenty-eight  guns,  in  which,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two,  he  found  himself  in  the  responsible 
situation  of  first  lieutenant.  The  Boston  was 
commanded  by  Captain  Daniel  McNeill,  an  old 
Revolutionary  captain,  who  was  one  of  the  char- 
acters of  the  old  navy.  He  was  a  fine  seaman 
and  a  man  of  resolution  and  integrity,  but  not 
very  amenable  to  authority.  The  Boston  was 
ordered  to  proceed  to  Europe  with  Chancellor 
Livingston,  who  was  to  arrange  terms  of  peace 
with  France.  They  encountered  heavy  weather, 
and  Captain  McNeill  carried  sail  in  such  a  way  as 
to  astonish  his  young  officers  ;  but  he  had  in 
his  first  lieutenant  a  man  almost  as  well  versed 
in  seamanship  as  himself. 

Perhaps  no  young  officer  in  the  navy  of  that 
day  was  so  well  adapted,  by  his  conciliatory  and 
amiable  manners,  to  be  the  first  lieutenant  of 
such  a  man  as  Captain  McNeill.  The  Boston 
had  been  ordered  to  report  to  Commodore  Richard 

133 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAIXS 

Dale,  who  was  Captain  ^rcNeill's  senior  in  rank, 
although  much  his  junior  in  age.  But  Captain 
McNeill  seems  to  have  liad  no  notion  of  putting 
himself  under  the  orders  of  a  man  so  much 
younger  than  himself,  and  although  he  cruised 
for  nearly  two  years  in  the  Mediterranean,  osten- 
sibly hunting  for  the  flagship,  he  managed  by 
the  greatest  adroitness  never  to  set  eyes  on 
her.  He  was  meanwhile  very  actively  engaged 
in  his  duty,  and  gave  convoy  to  American  vessels, 
frightened  off  the  piratical  vessels  of  the  Barbary 
powers,  and  even  blockaded  Tripoli  for  a  time  ; 
but  he  was  always  just  a  little  too  late  or  a  trifle 
too  early  to  join  the  flagship.  The  cruise  afforded 
a  multitude  of  amusing  anecdotes  about  this 
doughty  but  eccentric  captain,  whose  character 
and  attainments  commanded  respect,  in  spite 
of  his  oddities.  Once,  at  Malaga,  at  a  grand 
dinner  given  to  Captain  McNeill  and  his  officers, 
as  also  to  some  Swedisli  officers  of  high  rank,  the 
American  captain  was  seated  between  two  Swed- 
ish admirals.  At  nine  o'clock  a  midshipman 
entered  the  room,  according  to  orders,  and  re- 
ported to  Captain  McNeill  that  his  boat  waited. 
"What  did  you  say  ? "  asked  the  captain.  The 
midshipman  repeated  his  announcement,  Somers 
and  the  other  American  officers  present  waiting 
in  agony  for  what  Captain  McNeill  would  say  or 
do  next.  The  captain  again  asked  the  midship- 
man what  he  said,  bawling  out,  "  These  bloody 

134 


RICHARD    SOMERS 

Swedes  keej)  up  sucli  a  cliatierinu-  I  can't  liear 
what  you  sa}  I '' 

Another  one  of  Captain  McNeill's  adventures 
was  when,  lying  in  a  French  port,  he  wished  to 
test  how  quickly  his  ship  could  l)c  got  under  way. 
Three  of  his  own  ollicci's  were  on  shore,  but  three 
French  naval  officers  happened  to  be  on  board  ; 
so,  coolly  remarking  that  he  would  hold  on  to  the 
French  officers  to  keep  up  his  complement,  he  put 
to  sea.  It  was  several  months  before  the  French- 
men could  return  to  France,  and  meanwhile  they 
had  been  published  as  deserters. 

At  another  time,  taking  a  fancy  to  a  regimental 
band  which  came  aboard  the  Boston  in  an  Italian 
port,  he  sailed  for  America  with  the  musicians, 
and  it  was  several  years  before  they  were  all  re- 
turned to  Italy. 

The  Boston  soon  after  this  returned  to  the 
United  States,  and  the  administration  of  the  navy 
winked  at  Captain  McNeill's  peccadilloes,  in  view 
of  the  actual  service  he  had  done  during  his 
memorable  cruise. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  government  deter- 
mined to  send  a  force  out,  under  Commodore 
Preble,  to  crush  Tripoli.  Somers  got  the  com- 
mand of  the  Nautilus,  one  of  the  four  small 
vessels  that  were  built  and  sent  out,  Stewart 
getting  another,  and  Decatur  a  third.  Somers 
was  now  in  his  twenty -fifth  year,  handsome,  well 
made,  and  his  naturally  dark  skin  still  darker  from 

135 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

wind  and  sun.  His  manners  were  polished,  and 
he  was  as  prepossessing,  in  his  quiet  way,  as  the 
dashing  Decatur.  Somers's  black  eyes  were  notice- 
ably melancholy,  and  after  his  untimely  death 
those  who  loved  him  fancied  they  had  always 
seen  in  his  countenance  some  premonition  of  his 
doom. 

The  officers  who  were  to  command  these  lit- 
tle vessels  superintended  their  building,  as  there 
were  then  no  regular  navy-yards  in  the  country. 
The  Nautilus,  under  Somers's  command,  was  the 
first  to  sail,  and  the  first  to  arrive  at  Gibraltar, 
in  July,  1803.  She  was  a  beautiful  little  schooner, 
of  twelve  guns,  with  a  crew  of  nearly  a  hundred 
men.  She  was,  however,  very  small  to  cross  the 
Atlantic,  and  several  times  during  the  voyage 
Somers  was  hailed  and  offered  assistance  by 
friendly  shipmasters,  who  thought  the  gallant 
little  vessel  must  have  been  blown  out  of  her 
course. 

Somers  was  one  of  the  boy  captains  wliose 
youth  so  disgusted  Commodore  Preble  when  he 
met  them  first  on  their  arrival  at  Gibraltar.  But 
the  commodore  found  in  Somers,  as  early  as 
with  any,  the  stuff  of  which  these  young  officers 
were  made,  Somers  was  very  actively  engaged 
in  the  labors  and  cruises  which  occupied  the 
winter  of  1803-4,  preparing  to  attack  Tripoli 
in  the  summer.  He  sympathized  ardently  with 
Decatur  in  the  splendid  exploit  of  the  destruction 

136 


KICllAKD   SOMEKS 

of  the  Philadelphia.  He  was  anxious  to  assist 
him  with  the  Nautilus,  but  Stewart's  superior 
rank  and  larger  command  entitled  him  to  support 
Decatur,  which  he  did  in  the  Siren.  Decatur's 
success  inspired  every  young  captain  in  the 
squadron  with  a  noble  desire  to  equal  it,  and 
none  more  than  the  quiet  and  self-contained 
Somers. 

The  preparations  for  the  bombardment  of 
Tripoli  continued,  and  on  the  3d  of  August  the 
first  attack  took  place.  Commodore  Preble  gave 
the  command  of  the  right  division  of  gun- ves- 
sels to  Somers,  and  the  left  to  Decatur.  Somers 
was  supposed  to  be  Decatur's  senior  at  the  time, 
but  the  post-captain's  commission  which  the 
Congress  had  given  Decatur  as  a  reward  for  the 
destruction  of  the  Philadelphia  was  then  on  its 
way,  and  arrived  a  few  days  after  ;  while  the 
same  ship  brought  Somers's  promotion  to  a  mas- 
ter commandant. 

The  story  of  those  s])lendid  attacks  has  been 
told  in  the  biographies  of  Preble  and  Decatur. ^  On 
the  memorable  3d  of  August,  when  the  captives  of 
the  Philadelphia  in  the  Bashaw's  dungeons  first 
heard  from  the  guns  of  the  squadron  the  thun- 
dering demand  for  the  release  of  the  prisoners, 
Somers,  like  Decatur,  performed  prodigies  of 
valor.  The  harbor  of  Tripoli  is  crossed  by  a 
great  reef,  above  the  water,  and  on  which  forts  and 

1  See  tlic  l)i()graphy  of  Decatur. 
137  ' 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

batteries  were  mounted.  At  the  western  end  is 
a  narrow  opening  of  about  two  hundred  yards, 
while  within  the  reef  the  rocks  and  shoals  were  so 
numerous  and  so  difficult  that  the  best  seaman- 
ship and  the  greatest  courage  were  necessary  for 
an  attacking  enemy.  The  guns  from  the  forts 
and  ships  nearer  the  town,  too,  could  be  concen- 
trated on  any  small  craft  which  passed  through 
this  western  passage.  These  desperate  risks  did 
not  deter  Somers  and  Decatur,  who  went  inside 
and  fell  upon  the  Tripolitan  gun-vessels  with  the 
fury  of  fiends.  On  the  3d  of  August,  while  Decatur 
was  engaged  in  his  terrible  encounter  with  the 
Tripolitan,  Somers  in  a  single  small  gun-vessel 
held  at  bay  five  gun-vessels,  each  larger  than  his 
own,  and  fought  with  savage  determination. 
The  wind  was  driving  him  straight  on  the  rocks, 
and  he  had  to  keep  backing  his  sweeps  to  save 
himself  from  destruction,  while  fighting  like  a 
lion.  The  Constitution,  seeing  his  critical  posi- 
tion, came  to  his  support,  and,  opening  her  batter- 
ies on  the  Tripolitans,  succeeded  in  driving  them 
still  farther  within  the  reefs,  while  Somers  brought 
his  gallant  little  gun-vessel  out  in  triumph. 

Four  of  these  dashing  attacks  were  made,  in 
every  one  of  which  Somers  and  Decatur  com- 
manded the  two  boat  divisions.  Both  had  many 
narrow  escapes.  Once,  while  Somers  was  lean- 
ing against  the  flagstaff  of  his  little  vessel,  as 
she   was  on  her  way  to  attack,  he  saw  a  rouud 

138 


KICIIAKI)   SOMKliS 

shot  coining',  lie  junijx'd  aside,  and  the  next 
moment  the  fhigstall'  was  shattered  just  at  the 
point  where  his  head  had  rested.  His  knowledge 
of  the  interior  of  the  harbor,  where  the  Tripoli- 
tans  had  a  large  number  of  vessels  at  anchor,  in- 
spired him  with  the  design  of  leading  a  forlorn 
ho})e,  —  to  strike  one  great  blow,  and,  if  necessary, 
to  die  for  his  country  the  next  moment.  At 
last  he  got  Commodore  Preble's  permission  to 
carry  out  the  daring  attempt,  which,  heroic  in  its 
conception,  yet  makes  one  of  the  saddest  pages 
in  the  history  of  the  American  navy. 

The  plan  was  to  fit  up  as  a  fire-ship,  or  "  infer- 
nal," the  ketch  Intrepid,  in  which  Decatur  had 
won  immortality  in  the  same  harbor,  take  it 
in,  and  explode  it  among  the  Tripolitan  fleet. 
Somers  earnestly  begged  Commodore  Preble  for 
the  honor  of  leading  this  desperate  expedition, 
and  the  commodore  at  last  agreed.  It  would  be 
necessary  to  pour  one  hundred  barrels  of  gun- 
powder into  the  hold  of  the  ketch  in  order  to 
make  it  effective  as  a  fire-ship,  and  before  con- 
senting to  this,  the  Commodore  warned  Somers 
that  so  much  powder  must  not  be  allowed  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  Tripolitans.  It  was  dur- 
ing the  Napoleonic  wars,  powder  was  in  great 
demand,  and  the  Tripolitans  were  supposed  to  be 
short  of  it.  After  this  interview  Somers  ex- 
pressed the  determination  to  be  blown  up  i-nthor 
than  to  be  captured. 

1.39 


TWELVE  XAVAL   CAPTAINS 

The  details  of  the  attack  were  worked  out  most 
carefully.  Besides  the  powder,  the  Intrepid  was 
to  carry  a  large  stock  of  splintered  wood ;  and 
ahout  two  hundred  shells,  with  their  fuses  pre- 
pared, were  laid  on  her  decks,  to  add  their  horrors 
to  the  explosion.  The  brave  adventurers  had  two 
chances  for  their  lives,  in  having  two  boats  in 
which  to  escape  from  the  ketch.  One  of  them 
was  a  very  fast  four-oared  boat  from  Somers's 
own  vessel,  the  Nautilus,  and  the  other  was 
a  six-oared  cutter  from  the  Constitution.  Somers 
was  to  be  in  his  own  boat,  while  Lieutenant 
Henry  Wadsworth  ^  commanded  the  Constitu- 
tion's cutter.  Ten  sailors  were  to  be  taken  along^ 
making  twelve  persons  in  all ;  but  the  number 
was  increased  to  thirteen  by  a  little  midshipman, 
Joseph  Israel,  who  smuggled  himself  into  the 
Constitution's  boat. 

Somers  had  consulted  at  every  step  his  bosom 
friend  Decatur,  and  Charles  Stewart,  with  whom 
he  had  begun  his  naval  life  in  "  Old  Wagoner." 
Decatur,  in  his  own  vessel,  the  Argus,  and  Lieu- 
tenant-Commandant Smith,  of  the  Vixen,  and 
Somers's  vessel,  the  Nautilus,  under  the  command 
of  his  first  lieutenant,  Washington  Reed,  were  to 
support  the  dauntless  party  in  the  boats  as  far  as 
possible. 

Everything  being  ready,  on  the  day  after  the 

1  Lieutenant  Wadsworth  was  the  uncle  of  Longfellow,  and  the 
poet  was  named  for  this  gallant  gentleman  and  brave  sailor. 
140 


RICHARD    SOMERS 

dcsporatc  boat  attack  of  tlic  3d  of  September,  in 
the  afternoon,  Somers  appeared  on  the  deck  of 
his  vessel,  and,  having  the  crew  piped  up,  ad- 
dressed them,  telling  frankly  the  hazardous  na- 
ture of  the  attempt  he  was  to  make,  and  calling 
for  four  volunteers  who  would  go  with  him  to 
advance  one  step  ahead  of  the  line.  For  answer, 
every  man  and  boy  on  the  Nautilus  advanced 
two  steps.  This  brave  spirit  was  deeply  gratify- 
ing to  Somers,  and  he  was  forced  to  make  a 
selection.  He  chose  four  of  his  best  seamen, — 
James  Simms,  Thomas  Tompline,  James  Harris, 
and  William  Keith. 

On  the  Constitution  the  same  spirit  was  shown, 
and  Lieutenant  Wadsworth  selected  the  six  men 
he  needed  from  the  hundreds  who  were  eager  to 
go.  The  Constitution's  sailors  were  William 
Harrison,  Robert  Clark,  Hugh  McCormick,  Jacob 
WiUiams,  Peter  Renner,  and  Isaac  Downes.  The 
names  of  these  humble  men  deserve  to  be  re- 
corded, for  each  one  was  worthy  to  do,  to  dare, 
and  to  die  with  his  officers,  —  Somers,  Wads- 
worth,  and  Israel. 

When  the  last  preparations  were  made,  on 
the  afternoon  of  September  4,  1804,  and  the 
men  were  assembled  on  the  Nautilus's  deck,  with 
the  boats  lowered,  Somers  addressed  the  ten 
sailors.  He  told  them  that  he  wanted  no  man 
with  him  who  would  not  rather  be  blown  up  than 
surrender  to  the  Tripolitans.     The  men  responded 

141 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

with  a  cheer ;  and  it  was  found  that  eacli  one  had 
privately  asked  Somers  for  the  dangerous  honor 
of  applying  the  match  when  the  time  for  the 
explosion  came.  They  then  said  good-bye  to 
their  shipmates,  and  indicated  what  they  wished 
done  with  their  belongings  if  they  should  never 
return.  Somers  was  accompanied  to  the  In- 
trepid by  Decatur  and  Stewart,  who  remained 
with  him  until  the  dusk  of  the  September  evening 
warned  them  that  the  solemn  hour  had  come. 
On  parting  from  them,  Somers,  who  was  as  tran- 
quil as  ever,  took  a  ring  from  his  finger,  and, 
breaking  it  in  three  parts,  gave  one  piece  to 
Decatur,  one  to  Stewart,  and  kept  the  third- 
The  last  man  over  the  Intrepid's  side  was  Lieu- 
tenant Reed,  who,  as  Somers's  first  lieutenant, 
was  to  command  the  Nautilus. 

The  night  had  fallen  when  the  Constitution's 
boat  joined  the  ketch,  and  in  it  was  found  the 
little  fifteen-year-old  midshipman,  Israel,  who  had 
pleaded  to  go,  and,  being  refused,  had  smuggled 
himself  into  the  boat.  There  was  then  no  way  of 
getting  rid  of  him,  and,  admiring  his  bold  deter- 
mination, Somers  welcomed  him  on  the  ketch. 
There  was  a  light  blue  haze  on  the  water,  and 
the  night  was  murky  as  the  "  infernal "  stole 
upon  her  way.  She  entered  the  harbor  silently, 
while  outside,  in  the  offing,  the  Nautilus,  the  Ar- 
gus, and  the  Vixen  stood  in  as  close  as  they 
dared.     Presently,  in  the  darkness,  the  Siren  was 

142 


RICIIAKI)    SOMEUS 

observed  to  flit  past  them.  Stewart,  in  liis  anxiety 
for  Sonicrs,  liad  implored  Commodore  Preble  to 
let  liim  be  near  the  scene  of  action,  and  the  com- 
modore had  consented. 

The  Siren  ventured  farther  into  the  offing 
than  tlie  other  vessels,  and  Stewart  and  his  ofTi- 
cers,  like  every  ollicer  and  man  on  all  of  the 
ships,  was  intent  upon  the  black  shadow  of  the 
fire-ship,  as  she  crept  in  among  the  rocks.  She 
was  soon  discovered,  in  spite  of  the  darkness,  and 
a  few  grape-shot  were  thrown  at  her.  Stewart 
was  standing  in  the  Siren's  gangway,  with  one 
of  his  lieutenants,  anxiously  watching  through 
his  night-glass  the  progress  of  the  Intrepid, 
when  the  officer  cried,  "  Look !  see  the  light ! " 
A  light,  like  a  lantern,  was  seen  to  flash  across 
the  Intrepid's  deck.  The  next  moment  a  roar 
as  if  worlds  were  crashing  together  shook  the 
castle  and  forts,  and  rocked  the  ships  in  the 
offing ;  a  red  glare  hideously  illumined  the  sea 
and  sky ;  the  masts  and  sails  of  the  ketch  rose  up 
in  the  burning  air  for  a  moment,  then  fell  into 
the  fire-lit  waves,  and  all  was  over.  A  fright- 
ful and  unearthly  silence  and  darkness  succeeded. 
The  brigs  and  schooners  cruised  about,  their 
officers  and  men  in  anguish  over  the  fate  of 
their  brave  companions.  The  Constitution  fired 
minute-guns  all  night,  so  that  if  any  survived  that 
awful  explosion  they  might  know  they  were  not 
forgotten.     When  sunrise  came,  thirteen  black- 

143 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

ened  bodies  floated  ashore  at  Tripoli.  They  were 
so  disfigured  that  the  officers  could  only  be  told 
from  the  men  by  the  softness  of  their  hands. 
Bainbridge  and  his  officers  were  taken  from  their 
captivity  to  identify  the  remains  of  the  thirteen 
brave  souls  who  had  given  life  itself  to  hasten  the 
release  of  the  Philadelphia's  gallant  company. 
Not  the  slightest  damage  was  done  to  the  Tri- 
politan  ships  or  forts,  or  to  the  town  itself. 

The  ten  sailors  were  buried  together  near  the 
beach,  while  the  three  officers  were  laid  in  the  same 
grave  on  a  plain  a  little  southward  of  the  castle. 
Whether  Somers  blew  the  ketch  up,  in  his  concep- 
tion of  his  duty,  or  whether  the  powder  was  acci- 
dentally ignited,  can  never  be  ascertained.  All 
that  is  known,  however,  is  that  he  did  his  duty, 
as  did  every  officer  and  man  lost  in  that  perilous 
attempt.  Of  each  of  them  may  be  said  as  is 
written  after  the  name  of  the  little  midshipman, 
Israel,  in  the  records  of  the  navy,  "  Died,  with 
honor,  in  the  service,  September  4,  1804." 

His  country  honored  Somers  by  naming  for 
him  a  beautiful  little  brig;  but  like  him  it  was 
doomed  to  misfortune.  One  of  the  most  terrible 
tragedies  that  ever  occurred  in  the  American 
navy  took  place  upon  the  deck  of  the  Somers, 
and  it  was  afterward  lost  at  sea,  going  down,  as 
Somers  did,  in  the  darkness  and  silence  of  an 
unfathomed  mystery. 


144 


Isaac    Hull 


ISAAC   HULL. 

The  American  navy  has  produced  many  men 
great  in  the  handling  of  sailing-ships ;  but  no 
more  capable  seaman  ever  trod  the  quarter-deck 
than  Isaac  Hull.  In  all  of  his  achievements  his 
faculty  of  handling  his  vessel,  whether  great  or 
small,  to  the  utmost  possible  advantage,  was  the 
most  considerable  factor  in  his  success  ;  and  his 
tremendous  popularity  with  seamen,  who  were 
always  eager  to  ship  with  him,  came  from  their 
conviction  that  in  time  of  stress  and  danger  they 
had  a  born  sailor  to  look  out  for  them. 

Hull  was  the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  officer, 
and  was  born  at  Derby,  Massachusetts,  in  March, 
1775,  shortly  before  the  affairs  at  Lexington  and 
Concord.  His  father  was  taken  prisoner  and 
died  on  one  of  the  Jersey  prison  ships,  and  Isaac 
was  adopted  by  an  uncle.  General  Hull.  The 
means  and  station  of  the  Hull  family  were  such 
that  a  liberal  education  was  within  the  lad's 
reach,  and  he  was  destined  for  a  course  at  Yale 
College.  But  he  early  developed  a  passion  for 
the  sea ;  and  his  uncle,  seeing  the  boy's  determined 
bent,  concluded  to  let  him  carry  it  out.  The  Con- 
tinental navy  had  passed  out  of  existence,  and  the 

10  145 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

reorganization  did  not  take  place  until  1797-98, 
so  that  a  naval  career  was  not  open  to  him  at 
the  start.  General  Hull,  however,  did  the  next 
best  thing  possible  for  the  boy,  by  sending  him  to 
sea  in  a  fine  ship  owned  by  a  friend  of  the  Hull 
family.  Isaac  proved  himself  capable  and  indus- 
trious from  the  start,  and  by  the  time  he  reached 
his  twenty-first  birthday  was  in  command  of  a 
small  vessel.  The  desire  to  hold  a  commission 
in  the  regular  navy  possessed  him,  and  in  March, 
1798,  he  got  a  fourth  lieutenant's  commission, 
which  was  dated  on  his  twenty-third  birth- 
day. 

His  first  cruise  was  made  in  the  ship  in  which 
he  was  afterward  to  win  such  splendid  renown, 
—  the  Constitution.  She  was  then  commanded 
by  Captain  Samuel  Nicholson.  He  remained  in 
her  for  more  than  two  years,  and  thus  became 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  great  frigate,  —  a 
knowledge  he  was  eventually  to  put  to  good  use. 
In  1800  she  was  the  flagship  of  Commodore  Talbot, 
in  the  West  Indies,  and  Hull  was  her  first  lieu- 
tenant. Commodore  Talbot  and  the  captain  of  a 
British  frigate  on  that  station  were  friends,  and  the 
American  and  British  captains  would  often  discuss 
the  sailing  qualities  of  their  respective  frigates, 
the  British  ship  being  a  good  sailer  as  well  as 
the  Constitution.  At  last  a  sailing-match  was 
agreed  upon,  the  captains  wagering  a  cask  of 
wine  on  the  result.    The  two  frigates  started  with 

146 


ISAAC   HULL 

a  fresh  breeze  at  sunrise,  and  tlie  contest  was  to 
last  until  llie  sunset  gun  was  fired.  Hull  sailed 
the  Constitution,  and  his  seamanship  on  that 
day  of  friendly  rivalry  was  scarcely  inferior  to 
that  which  he  displayed  when  Admiral  J>roke's 
S(]uadron  of  live  ships  was  hounding  him  on  an 
August  day,  twelve  years  after.  The  Constitu- 
tion could  easily  leg  it  at  an  eleven-knot  gait, 
with  a  tolerable  breeze,  and  was  almost  unap- 
proachable on  a  wind  ;  but  that  day,  under  Hull's 
skilful  handling,  she  outdid  herself,  and  beat  her 
opponent  by  several  miles.  Hull  kept  the  crew 
on  deck  the  livelong  day,  and  the  seamanlike 
manner  in  which  he  beat  the  English  frigate, 
which  was  also  remarkably  well  sailed,  won  the 
admiration  even  of  his  opponents.  Hull  was  too 
great  a  seaman  himself  to  underrate  either  British 
skill  or  pluck,  and  many  years  after  it  is  told  of 
him  that,  speaking  with  a  very  steady  old  boat- 
swain, the  man  remarked,  "  The  British,  sir,  are 
hard  fellows  on  salt  water." 

"  I  know  that,  —  they  are  a  hard  set  of  fellows, 
sure  enough,"  was  Hull's  emphatic  reply. 

Hull  saw  no  very  brilliant  service  during  the 
hostilities  with  France  in  1799-1800,  but  he  cut 
out  a  French  letter-of-marque  in  the  harbor  of 
Port  Platte,  Hayti,  in  a  very  handsome  manner. 
He  armed  a  small  vessel,  the  Sally,  with  men 
from  the  Constitution,  ran  into  the  harbor  in 
broad    daylight,    landed  a   company   of    marines, 

147 


TWELVE   NAVAL  CAPTAIN'S 

who  spiked  the  guns  of  the  fort  and  carried  off 
the  French  letter-of-marque  in  fine  style. 

In  1802  Hull  went  to  the  Adams,  of  twenty- 
eight  guns,  as  her  first  lieutenant.  The  Adams 
was  one  of  the  fastest  frigates  that  ever  floated, 
and  Hull  was  the  man  to  get  the  most  out  of  her. 
She  was  sent  to  the  Mediterranean  at  the  begin- 
ning  of  the  Tripolitan  troubles,  and  in  her  patrol 
of  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  in  all  weathers,  and 
her  blockade  of  Tripoli  in  the  dangerous  winter 
season,  her  first  lieutenant  splendidly  sustained 
the  reputation  he  had  brought  from  the  Consti- 
tution with  him,  as  one  of  the  ablest  seamen  in 
the  navy.  He  would  carry  more  sail  than  any 
other  lieutenant  in  the  squadron  would  have 
carried,  and  would  make  sail  when  most  ships 
scarcely  showed  a  rag  of  canvas. 

In  1803  he  got  his  first  command,  the  little 
schooner  Enterprise,  which  he  exchanged,  after 
a  short  time,  with  Decatur,  who  brought  out  from 
America  the  Argus,  a  handsome  sixteen-gun  brig, 
lately  off  the  stocks.  In  the  Argus  he  took  an 
active  part  in  the  bombardment  of  Tripoli,  and 
manifested  his  usual  steadiness  and  coolness. 
Commodore  Preble,  wishing  to  examine  the  har- 
bor as  closely  as  practicable  during  the  bombard- 
ment, trusted  to  Hull's  seamanship  to  get  him 
the  best  view  possible,  and  reconnoitred  one  night 
in  the  Argus.  It  came  near  being  the  end  of  the 
vessel  and  all  on  board,  by  one   of  those  acci- 

148 


ISAAC   HULL 

dents  against  which  skill  and  courage  avail  noth- 
ing. A  lieavy  shot  struck  the  brig's  bottom,  and 
raked  it  for  several  feet,  ripping  the  plank  out  as 
it  went.  Had  it  gone  an  inch  deeper,  the  shi[>'s 
bottom  would  have  been  out;  but  the  gallant  brig 
and  her  brave  conijiany  were  saved  for  great  ser- 
vices to  their  country. 

After  the  reduction  of  the  Barbary  powers  Hull 
returned  home,  and  in  1806  he  reached  the  rank 
of  post-captain.  He  was  then  thirty-one  years 
old,  short  and  stocky,  but  military  in  his  bearing, 
prompt  and  decided  in  his  manner,  kind  to  his 
men,  but  a  firm  disciplinarian.  He  was  singularly 
chivalrous  to  women,  and  treated  the  humblest 
woman  with  the  highest  respect. 

In  1811  Hull  got  the  Constitution,  and  with 
her,  Lieutenant,  afterward  Commodore,  Charles 
Morris,  a  lieutenant  worthy  of  such  a  captain. 
In  the  celebrated  chase  of  the  Constitution  the 
following  year,  scarcely  less  praise  is  due  to 
Morris,  then  her  first  lieutenant,  than  to  Hull. 
The  Constitution's  first  duty  was  to  take  a 
large  amount  of  specie  to  Holland,  in  payment  of 
interest  on  a  debt  due  by  the  United  States.  From 
thence  she  proceeded  to  Portsmouth,  England. 

By  that  time  it  was  known  that  war  was  immi- 
nent, and  Hull  kept  his  ship  prepared  for  action 
at  a  moment's  notice.  It  seemed  at  one  time 
as  if  the  Constitution  would  fire  the  first  gun  of 
the  conllict  in  an  English  port.     The  Havana, 

149 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

frigate,  lay  close  to  the  Constitution,  and  one 
night  a  man  from  the  American  frigate  jumped 
overboard  and  swam  to  the  Havana,  where  he 
was  taken  aboard.  Next  morning  Hull  sent  a 
boat  with  Morris,  to  ask  the  man's  surrender. 
The  British  captain  declined  to  give  him  up,  say- 
ing that  the  man  swore  he  was  a  British  subject. 
As  the  British  navy  made  laws  for  the  navies  of 
the  world  in  those  days,  the  Americans  had  to 
submit  with  a  very  bad  grace.  But  compensation 
was  at  hand.  A  man  from  the  Havana,  see- 
ing the  turn  of  affairs,  jumped  overboard  and 
swam  to  the  Constitution.  He  was  welcomed  on 
board,  one  may  be  sure,  and  when  the  Havana's 
lieutenant  sent  after  him,  Hull  coolly  announced 
that  the  man  said  he  was  an  American  citizen, 
and  therefore  would  not  be  given  up.  The  British 
captain  had  to  be  satisfied  with  this  answer.  But 
there  was  some  expectation  that  an  attempt  would 
be  made  to  seize  the  man  by  force.  Meanwhile 
Hull  concluded  to  change  his  berth,  the  Ha- 
vana and  her  consort  being  a  little  too  near ;  so 
he  picked  up  his  anchor,  and  dropped  down  to 
leeward  a  mile  or  two.  The  Havana  promptly 
followed  him.  Hull  then  thought  it  likely  that 
he  would  be  attacked  before  morning,  and  made 
his  preparations  accordingly.  The  ship  was 
cleared  for  action,  the  cabin  torn  out  of  the  way, 
the  battle  lanterns  lighted,  and  the  men  sent  to 
their  quarters  at  the  tap  of   the   drum.     Hull, 

150 


ISAAC   HULL 

I'liU    of    fire    and    determination,    said    to    the 
men,  — 

"  My  lads,  are  you  ready  for  a  fight  ?  I  don't 
know  hut  wliat  this  frigate  is  after  us.  Are  you 
ready  for  her  ? " 

The  reply  was  a  rousing  American  cheer. 
Even  some  men  who  were  in  irons  joined  in  the 
cheering,  and  contrived  to  get  a  message  to  the 
captain  asking  to  be  released  during  the  time  of 
the  expected  fight,  that  they  might  do  their  duty. 
This  was  done,  and  amid  the  greatest  enthusiasm 
the  guns  were  cast  loose.  It  was  noted  that  the  men 
took  hold  of  the  gun  tackles  as  if  they  meant  to 
jerk  the  guns  through  the  ship's  side.  Lieutenant 
Morris,  passing  along  the  batteries,  told  the  men 
that  if  the  ship  had  to  fight,  it  would  be  in  their 
quarrel,  and  he  hoped  they  would  give  a  good 
account  of  themselves.  The  reply  of  these  gal- 
lant tars  was,  "  Let  the  quarterdeck  look  out  for 
the  colors,  and  we  will  look  out  for  the  guns.'' 

Some  hours  having  passed,  with  the  Consti- 
tution plainly  ready  for  a  fight,  without  any 
demonstration  from  the  British  frigate,  Hull  de- 
termined to  lift  his  anchor  and  sail  for  France. 
The  men  responded  with  a  loud  groan  to  the 
boatswain's  call  to  man  the  capstan  bars,  and, 
sailor-like,  were  acutely  disappointed  that  they 
got  off  without  a  chance  to  show  what  the  ship 
could  do. 

Hull  returned  to   the   United   States,   and   in 

l.H 


TWELVE   NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

June,  1812,  war  was  declared.  The  Constitu- 
tion was  at  Annapolis,  where  she  had  been  newly 
coppered,  and  where  a  sloop-of-war  was  also  being 
fitted  out.  A  report  got  about,  among  the  Con- 
stitution's crew,  that  men  were  to  be  drafted  from 
her  to  the  sloop-of-war.  This  created  great  dis- 
satisfaction. The  men,  nearly  all  native-born 
Americans,  although  new  to  the  ship,  were  proud 
of  her,  and  had  a  superstitious  faith  in  her  good 
fortune  and  were  devoted  to  their  captain.  Their 
complaints  became  almost  mutinous,  when  Hull 
appeared  among  them  and  assured  them  that  not 
a  man  should  be  taken  out  of  the  ship.  This 
pacified  them,  and  on  the  14th  of  July,  1812, 
they  sailed  for  New  York,  to  join  Commodore 
Rodgers's  squadron.  About  four  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  July  19th,  the  cry  rang  through  the 
ship  that  the  American  squadron  was  sighted ; 
but  as  day  broke,  it  was  found  that  the  Constitu- 
tion was  almost  surrounded  by  a  British  squadron 
mider  Admiral  Broke,  one  of  the  finest  seamen 
in  the  British  navy.  It  consisted  of  the  Africa, 
sixty-four ;  the  frigates  Shannon  and  Guerriere, 
of  thirty-eight  guns  each  (with  the  last  the  Con- 
stitution was  to  have  it  out,  yardarm  to  yardarm, 
that  day  month)  ;  the  light  frigates  Belvidera  and 
Eolus  ;  and  two  small  vessels.  By  sunrise  it  fell 
almost  calm,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  glorious 
frigate  would  have  to  lie  where  she  was,  to  be 
eaten  up  by  her  enemies  as  soon  as  the  wind  rose. 

152 


ISAAC   HULL 

But  Hull  and  Morris  were  men  of  resource,  and 
while  fully  prepared  to  go  down  fighting,  if  neces- 
sary, they  knew  a  way  of  getting  off  even  without 
a  wind.  All  the  spare  hawsers  in  the  ship  were 
bent  together,  and  to  a  kedge  anchor  which  was 
put  in  a  boat,  sent  ahead  half  a  mile,  and  let  go. 
The  crew,  at  a  signal,  clapped  on,  and  walked 
away  with  the  ship.  Before  she  lost  the  impetus 
gained  by  rousing  on  the  one  kedge,  another  one 
was  carried  ahead  and  let  go  ;  and  so  she  pro- 
gressed at  the  rate  of  about  three  knots  an  hour. 
At  first  the  British  were  amazed  to  see  her  trot- 
ting off  without  a  wind ;  but  they  soon  found  out 
what  was  going  on,  and  put  all  the  available  boats 
in  the  squadron  to  towing  the  Shannon  after  the 
Constitution.  The  Shannon,  however,  could  not 
make  much  headway,  as  Hull  had  mounted  stern- 
chasers  in  the  cabin,  and  fired  on  the  British  boats 
whenever  they  came  within  range. 

The  Shannon,  however,  was  coming  up  on  the 
starboard,  while  the  other  ships  were  towing, 
kedging,  and  sending  their  boats  ahead  with 
sweeps,  to  surround  the  gallant  frigate.  The 
Guerriere,  too,  was  nearing  her  on  the  port 
quarter,  and  men  less  resourceful  than  Hull  and 
his  officers  would  have  despaired  of  escape.  But 
just  then  a  light  breeze  struck  the  ship,  the  sails 
were  trimmed,  and  the  ship  came  by  the  wind 
beautifully.  This  brought  the  Guerriere  nearly 
within  gunshot,  and  she  roared  out  her  broadside  ; 

153 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

but  the  Constitution's  people  continued  hoisting 
up  their  boats  with  as  much  coohiess  and  steadi- 
ness as  if  the  cannonade  were  no  more  than  bird- 
shot.  For  an  hour  the  Constitution  legged  it  at 
a  lively  rate  ;  but  about  ten  o'clock  it  fell  calm, 
and  the  wearisome  and  tedious  method  of  kedging 
was  again  resorted  to.  The  British  put  nearly  all 
their  boats  on  the  Shannon,  but  in  spite  of  num- 
bers the  American  frigate  managed  to  keep  just 
out  of  gunshot. 

Every  device  known  to  seamanship  was  used  to 
increase  the  distance  between  the  frigate  and  her 
pursuers.  Her  sails  were  wet  down  fore  and  aft, 
several  thousand  gallons  of  water  were  pumped 
out  of  her,  the  boat's  falls  were  kept  in  hand  to 
run  the  boats  up,  and  every  cat's  paw  was  taken 
advantage  of  with  the  finest  possible  seamanship. 
Yet  so  hopeless  did  her  chances  seem  that  Admiral 
Broke  had  a  prize  crew  told  off,  to  take  her  into 
Halifax  !  Neither  Hull  nor  his  officers  or  men 
contemplated  for  a  moment  giving  up  the  frigate. 
Hull  knew  his  ship ;  he  had  a  remarkably  capable 
set  of  officers,  and  his  ship  was  so  well  manned 
by  intelligent  Americans  that  it  was  said  in  a 
very  little  while  after  they  had  enlisted  the  crew 
could  have  sailed  and  fought  the  ship  without 
their  officers. 

About  two  o'clock  the  Belvidera  got  within 
range  and  began  to  throw  her  broadside  ;  but  Hull, 
after  returning  a  few  shot,  devoted  himself  strictly 

154 


ISAAC   HULL 

to  keeping  his  ship  away  from  her  enemies.  All 
day  the  British  sliips  used  every  method  that 
skill  could  devise  to  get  at  the  Constitution,  but 
were  able  neither  to  overhaul  her  nor  to  close 
with  her.  At  eleven  o'clock  at  night  a  breeze 
sprang  up  which  lasted  for  an  hour,  when  it  died 
away.  During  that  night  neither  the  Constitu- 
tion nor  her  pursuers  kedged,  the  crews  on  all 
the  ships  being  too  exhausted ;  but  no  officer 
or  man  on  the  Constitution  went  below.  The 
officers  lay  down  at  their  stations,  and  the  sail- 
ors slept  at  their  guns,  w^ith  their  rammers  and 
sponges  at  their  sides. 

With  daylight  came  wand  enough  to  keep  the 
ships  moving,  and  at  sunrise  the  sight  was  sin- 
gularly beautiful.  The  summer  sea  was  faintly 
rippled  by  a  long,  soft  swell,  and  the  sun  shone 
with  unclouded  splendor.  The  five  pursuing  ships, 
as  well  as  the  Constitution,  were  clouds  of  can- 
vas, from  rail  to  truck,  and  all  six  were  on  the 
same  tack.  Including  the  six  men-of-war,  eleven 
sail  were  in  sight.  The  British  squadron  had 
been  joined  by  the  Nautilus,  brig,  and  the  rest 
were  merchantmen.  During  the  morning  an 
American  merchant  ship  was  observed  approach- 
ing. The  Constitution,  seeing  the  ship  was  un- 
aware of  her  danger,  hoisted  an  English  ensign 
and  fired  a  gun  at  her,  —  which  induced  her  to 
run  away  from  her  supposed  enemy. 

All  day  the   chase  continued  ;   but   the    Con- 

155 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

stitution  showed  a  clean  pair  of  heels,  and  was 
slowly,  though  steadily,  widening  the  distance 
between  herself  and  her  pursuers.  In  the  after- 
noon a  heavy  squall  with  rain  came  up.  The 
Constitution  took  in  her  sails,  which  induced  the 
British  ships  to  do  the  same.  But  as  soon  as  she 
was  hid  by  the  curtain  of  falling  rain,  she  made 
sail  upon  her  stout  masts,  that  carried  her  along 
at  a  rattling  gait.  In  about  an  hour  the  weather 
cleared,  when  it  w^as  seen  that  the  Belvidera, 
the  nearest  vessel,  was  far  astern,  the  others 
were  more  distant  still,  the  Africa  being  hull 
down.  The  chase  was  still  kept  up  during  the 
whole  of  that  night,  but  at  daylight  next  morning 
the  British  ships  were  almost  out  of  sight,  and 
about  eight  o'clock  they  hauled  their  wind  and 
gave  up  the  contest. 

Not  only  had  the  noble  frigate  escaped  from  her 
enemies,  but  she  had  done  so  without  losing  a 
gun,  an  anchor,  or  a  boat.  She  w^as  ready  at  any 
moment  of  the  cliase  to  go  into  action,  and  the 
steadiness,  coolness,  and  precision  of  her  manoeu- 
vres were  never  surpassed.  This  chase  is  one  of 
the  glories  of  the  American  navy,  —  not  merely  be- 
cause of  the  escape  itself,  but  by  reason  of  the  sea- 
manlike manner  in  which  it  was  accomplished. 

Shortly  after,  the  Constitution  ran  the  block- 
ade and  got  into  Boston,  to  hear  the  news 
that  she  had  been  captured  ! 

The  delight  of  the  people  at  the  escape  of  their 

156 


ISAAC   HULL 

favorite  frigate  was  unbounded.  Hull  was  hailed 
as  a  hero ;  but  with  characteristic  modesty  he 
ascribed  most  of  the  credit  of  his  escape  to  his 
officers  and  crew,  both  in  his  official  report  and 
a  published  card. 

Having  had  an  intimation,  however,  that  it 
was  in  contemplation  to  give  the  ship  to  Bain- 
bridge,  in  virtue  of  his  superior  rank,  and  with- 
out waiting  for  orders,  which  might  be  just  what 
he  did  not  want,  Hull  sailed  eastward  as  soon  as 
he  had  watered  and  victualled  his  ship.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  19th  of  August,  just  one  month 
to  a  day  after  he  had  first  been  chased  by  the 
Guerriere,  he  ran  across  her  again,  and  both 
ships  prepared  to  fight  it  out,  with  the  greatest 
spirit  imaginable. 

Captain  Dacres,  of  the  Guerriere,  and  Hull 
were  personal  friends,  as  many  of  the  American 
and  British  captains  were  in  those  days,  and  there 
was  a  standing  bet  of  a  hat  between  them  on  the 
result  in  case  their  two  ships  ever  came  to  ex- 
changing broadsides.  The  Guerriere  was  an  ex- 
tremely fine  French-built  frigate,  carrying  fifty 
guns,  —  the  Constitution  carried  fifty-four  and 
her  broadside  was  much  the  heavier.  In  men, 
the  Constitution  had  also  the  advantage  of  the 
British  ship,  but  the  damage  infiicted  by  the 
Constitution  was  far  in  excess  of  her  superiority 
in  men  and  metal.  On  the  Guerriere's  great 
mainsail  was  inscribed  in  huge  red  letters, 

157 


TWELVE   NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

"  All  ^Yho  meet  me  have  a  care, 
I  am  England's  Guerriere." 

The  two  ships  were  looking  for  each  other, 
when  on  the  19th  of  August,  about  ten  o'clock, 
a  sail  being  reported  off  the  port  bow,  a  midship- 
man was  sent  aloft  to  try  and  make  her  out.  All 
hands  were  hoping  the  stranger  was  the  Guer- 
riere, when  Hull  called  out  with  animation, — 

"  What  do  you  think  she  is  ?  " 

"  She  's  a  great  vessel,  sir.     Tremendous  sails." 

"  Never  mind,"  coolly  replied  Hull,  turning  to 
the  boatswain.  "Mr.  Adams,  call  all  hands. 
Make  sail  for  her." 

Before  the  boatswain's  pipe  was  heard,  the  men 
came  tumbling  up  on  deck,  even  the  sick  turning 
out  of  their  berths.  Hull,  in  his  official  report  of 
the  battle,  says :  "  From  the  smallest  boy  in  the 
ship  up  to  the  oldest  seaman,  not  a  look  of  fear 
was  seen.  They  went  into  action  giving  three 
cheers,  and  requesting  to  be  laid  alongside  the 
enemy."  When  the  call  to  quarters  was  heard 
through  the  ship,  the  men  went  to  the  guns 
dancing.  Sail  was  crowded  on,  and  soon  it  was 
seen  that  the  stranger  was  the  Guerriere.  She 
had  hauled  her  wind,  and  lay  with  her  topsails 
aback,  gallantly  waiting  for  her  enemy.  Her 
officers  and  crew  prepared  to  meet  the  Americans 
with  the  spirit  of  British  seamen.  There  were 
ten  Americans  in  the  crew  who  came  to  Captain 
Dacres  and  told  him  they  could  not  fight  against 

158 


ISAAC   HULL 

their  own  country.  The  captain  magnanimously 
told  them  to  go  below,  and  assist  in  the  cockpit 
with  the  wounded. 

As  soon  as  the  Constitution  got  within  range, 
the  Guerri^re  let  fly  her  batteries,  firing  the  star- 
board guns,  then  wearing  and  giving  the  Consti- 
tution her  port  guns.  The  Constitution  came 
on,  yawing  at  intervals  to  prevent  being  raked, 
and  occasionally  firing  one  of  her  bow  guns. 
Three  times  Lieutenant  Morris  asked  permission 
to  fire  a  broadside,  and  each  time  Hull  answered, 
"  Not  yet."  At  last,  when  within  fifty  yards  of 
the  Guerriere,  the  moment  had  come.  Hull 
spoke  a  few  stirring  words  to  his  people. 

"  Men  !  "  he  said,  "  now  do  your  duty.  Your 
officers  cannot  have  entire  command  over  you  now. 
Each  man  must  do  all  in  his  power  for  his  country. 
No  firing  at  random.  Let  every  man  look  well  to 
his  aim.     Sailing-master,  lay  her  alongside." 

The  Constitution  came  up  into  the  wind  in 
gallant  style,  and  as  she  fell  off  a  little,  the 
Guerriere,  an  antagonist  worthy  of  the  great 
frigate,  ranged  alongside.  The  Constitution  let 
fly  every  gun  in  her  starboard  batteries  at  short 
range,  and  the  shock  was  like  an  earthquake. 
Every  timber  in  the  frigate  trembled  like  a  leaf. 
When  the  smoke  cleared  away,  it  was  seen  that 
this  terrific  broadside  had  made  destruction  on  the 
British  ship.  Her  mizzen-mast  had  gone  by  the 
board,  her  mainyard  had  been  shot  from  the  slings, 

159 


TAVELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

and  a  momentary  confusion  reigned  on  her  decks. 
The  effect  of  their  first  broadside  was  so  en- 
couraging to  the  Americans  that  before  firing 
another  gun  they  gave  three  thundering  cheers. 
The  English  officers  spoke  afterward  of  the  ex- 
tra ordinary  enthusiasm  of  the  Americans,  which 
was  a  part  of  the  fury  of  their  attack. 

When  the  cheers  had  subsided,  Hull  called  out, 
"  My  lads,  you  have  made  a  brig  of  that  craft ; " 
to  which  the  sailors  shouted  back,  "  We'll  make 
a  sloop  of  her  soon,  sir ; "  and  in  a  little  while 
the  foremast  went  by  the  board.  The  Guer- 
ridre  then  swung  round,  and,  being  almost  un- 
manageable, got  into  a  terrible  position  for  raking. 
Her  officers  and  men  fought  with  undiminished 
valor,  and  when  the  ensign  was  shot  away,  an- 
other one  was  nailed  to  the  stump  of  the  mizzen- 
mast.  On  the  Constitution  the  halyards  were 
shot  away,  and  the  flag  became  entangled  in  the 
splinters  of  a  shattered  yard.  A  sailor  sprang  aloft 
and  nailed  it  to  the  mast,  and  both  ships  continued 
the  action  without  thought  of  surrender. 

The  Guerriere,  however,  was  plainly  getting 
the  worst  of  it.  Most  of  her  fire  was  directed  to 
the  masts  and  spars  of  the  Constitution,  while 
several  shot  that  struck  the  frigate's  hull  re- 
bounded into  the  water.  At  this  the  sailors 
cheered. 

"  Huzza !  "  they  cried.  "  Her  sides  are  made 
of  iron  !     Huzza  for  Old  '  Ironsides ' ! " 

160 


ISAAC  HULL 

Then  some  one  on  the  Constitution,  pointing 
to  the  captain,  cried, — 

"Hull  her,  men!     Hull  her!" 

The  sailors,  catcliing  the  pun,  roared  out, — 

"  Hull  her  !     Hull  her  !     Yes,  we  '11  hull  lier !  " 

Hull,  Avho  had  grown  very  stout,  and  was  short 
withal,  was  standing  on  an  ammunition  box,  while 
shot  flew  thick  and  fast  around  him.  Leaning 
over  to  give  an  order,  his  knee  breeches,  which 
were  very  tight,  burst  from  knee  to  hip.  The 
men  shouted  with  laughter ;  but  it  was  no  time  to 
repair  such  damages,  and  Hull  finished  the  battle 
with  his  trousers  hanging  in  rags. 

It  was  not  to  last  long.  The  mainmast  soon 
followed  the  other  masts,  and  in  thirty  minutes 
from  the  time  the  Constitution's  first  broad- 
side had  been  fired,  the  Guerridre  lay,  a  helpless 
hulk,  rolling  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  that  washed 
into  her  shattered  main-deck  ports. 

Her  masts  and  spars  having  gone  by  the  board, 
she  swung  round,  so  that  she  lay  pei'fectly  help- 
less, while  every  gun  in  the  Constitution  raked  her. 
The  men  could  see  the  whites  of  each  other's  eyes, 
and  the  gleam  of  the  teeth  as  they  fought.  Cap- 
tain Dacres  had  been  badly  wounded,  while  stand- 
ing in  the  hammock  nettings  cheering  his  men 
on,  a  vast  number  of  otlticers  and  men  killed  and 
wounded,  and  the  Guerriere's  decks  ran  with  blood. 
But  even  in  these  dreadful  circumstances  not  a 
man  or  boy  on  the  British  ship  faltered  ;    and 

11  161 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

when  it  was  plain  to  every  eye  that  resistance  was 
over  for  the  proud  Guerriere,  one  of  her  powder 
boys  was  heard  to  shout  to  another  confidently, — 

''  Work  away  there  !  Huzza  !  She  '11  soon  be 
ours  ! " 

Her  captain  saw  that  it  was  time  to  stop  the 
useless  slaughter,  and  a  gun  was  fired  to  lee- 
ward, which  signified  surrender.  But  her  men 
refused  to  haul  down  the  jack  they  had  nailed  to 
the  stump  of  the  mizzen-mast,  and  not  until  Cap- 
tain Dacres  stepped  into  the  Constitution's  boat 
did  the  brave  men  and  boys  of  the  Guerriere 
acknowledge  themselves  beaten.  It  was,  indeed, 
an  idea  almost  impossible  for  them  to  grasp, 
that  a  crack  British  frigate  should  have  been 
whipped  in  fair  fight  by  an  American  ;  but  it  is 
easily  understood  when  it  is  remembered  that  they 
were  men  of  the  same  stock,  —  for  the  Constitution 
was  wholly  manned  by  native-born  Americans,  who 
came  justly  by  that  genius  for  fighting  at  sea  which 
is  the  common  lieritage  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race. 

As  Captain  Dacres  came  over  the  side  of  the 
Constitution,  Hull  met  him  with  the  cordiality 
of  a  friend  and  shipmate  instead  of  the  air  of  a 
conqueror.  He  gave  the  British  captain  a  hand, 
saying,  with  the  greatest  friendliness, — 

*'  Dacres,  I  see  you  are  hurt.    Let  me  help  you." 

As  soon  as  Captain  Dacres  reached  the  Con- 
stitution's deck,  he  attempted  to  hand  his  sword 
to  Hull,  who  said,  — 

162 


ISAAC   UV\.L 

"  No,  no,  I  cannot  take  the  sword  of  a  man  who 
knows  so  well  how  to  use  it ;  but  —  1  '11  thank  you 
for  that  hat!" 

The  business  of  transferring  the  prisoners  then 
began.  It  was  seen  at  once  tlierc  was  no  liope  of 
saving  the  Guerrierc,  and  it  was  determined  to 
remove  everything  of  vahie  and  then  blow  her  np. 
The  damages  to  the  Constitution  were  repaired 
in  an  hour.  She  had  lost  seven  men  killed  and 
seven  wounded.  The  Guerriere  had  lost  seventy- 
nine  in  killed  and  wounded. 

The  Constitution  lay  by  the  Guerriere  all  night, 
and  the  Americans  worked  like  Trojans  to  save 
the  belongings  of  the  prisoners.  Hull  asked 
Captain  Dacres  if  everything  of  value  had  been 
sent  him  out  of  the  Guerriere's  cabin.  Captain 
Dacres  replied  that  a  Bible,  his  wife's  gift,  had 
been  left  behind.  Hull  immediately  sent  a  boat 
after  it.  Captain  Dacres,  in  his  report  to  the 
Admiralty,  said  :  "  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  state  that 
the  conduct  of  Captain  Hull  and  his  officers  to 
our  men  has  been  that  of  a  brave  enemy,  the 
greatest  care  being  taken  to  prevent  our  men 
losing  the  smallest  trifle,  and  the  greatest  atten- 
tion being  paid  to  the  wounded." 

After  working  all  night  the  morning  of  the 
20th  of  August  saw  the  hraxe  but  unfortunate 
Guerriere  made  ready  for  her  ocean  grave.  A 
slow  match  was  applied  to  her  magazine,  and 
the  Constitution  bore  away.      About  three  miles 

163 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

off  she  hove  to,  while  her  officers  and  men,  to- 
gether with  those  of  the  doomed  frigate,  waited 
breathlessly  for  the  explosion.  As  the  fire  gained 
headway,  a  dense  volume  of  smoke  formed  over 
her.  Some  of  her  guns  had  been  left  shotted,  and 
as  the  fire  reached  them,  they  began  to  go  off, 
their  sullen  boom  over  the  sea  sounding  like  the 
death-knell  of  the  gallant  ship.  Presently  the 
flames  reached  the  magazine.  Streams  of  light, 
and  a  roar  that  seemed  to  shake  the  deep,  fol- 
lowed ;  a  mass  of  wreckage  flew  skyward ;  the 
Guerriere  was  no  more. 

There  was  great  uneasiness  felt  on  board  the 
Constitution  in  regard  to  the  large  number  of 
prisoners  she  carried.  There  were  not  enough 
handcuffs  in  the  ship  for  the  whole  British  crew, 
and  the  Americans  felt  a  manly  unwillingness  to 
handcuff  any  of  the  men  who  had  fought  them  so 
bravely.  But  it  was  noted  that  from  the  start 
the  prisoners  and  their  captors  behaved  well,  the 
American  and  British  sailors  sitting  around  the 
fok'sle  together,  spinning  yarns,  exchanging  to- 
bacco, and  chumming  quite  amicably. 

Hull  made  for  Boston,  and  on  his  arrival  there 
was  greeted  with  the  wildest  enthusiasm.  The 
people  were  beside  themselves  with  joy.  Before 
this  a  British  ship  had  been  deemed  invincible, 
and  the  knowledge  that  one  of  these  great  ships, 
with  a  captain  and  crew  worthy  of  her,  had  struck 
to  an  American  captain  who  had  never  before 

164 


ISAAC   HULL 

handled  a  frigate  in  action,  was  gratifying  to  the 
national  pride.  Hull,  to  his  great  discomhture, 
was  seized,  as  he  stepped  upon  the  dock,  and  car- 
ried on  the  shoulders  of  his  admirers  to  his  des- 
tination. A  grand  banquet  was  given  to  liim  and 
his  officers  in  Faneuil  Hall.  Congress  had  a 
medal  struck  in  his  honor,  and  gave  swords  to 
the  officers  and  a  handsome  sum  in  prize  money 
to  the  crew.  So  great  was  Hull's  popularity  that 
the  commissioners  of  the  navy  would  not  have 
taken  the  ship  away  from  him,  had  he  asked  to 
retain  her,  but  with  true  magnanimity  he  gave 
her  up  to  Bainbridge.  Hull  knew  that  Bainbridge 
was  justly  entitled  to  her,  and  he  was  not  the  man 
to  withhold  anything  from  a  brother  in  arms. 
Bainbridge  therefore  took  her,  and  went  out  and 
captured  the  Java.^ 

Hull  was  actively,  though  not  brilliantly,  em- 
ployed during  the  rest  of  the  war,  but  did  not  get 
afloat  again,  as  there  were  more  captains  than 
frigates.  In  1813  he  married  a  beautiful  girl,  the 
daughter  of  a  clergyman.  She  had  laughed  at 
his  pretensions  when  he  was  only  a  lieutenant ; 
but  after  his  great  cruise  she  said,  when  she  knew 
it  would  be  repeated  to  Hull,  "  How  delightful  it 
must  be  to  be  the  wife  of  a  hero !  "  He  took  the 
hint,  and  soon  after  they  were  married. 

Hull's  subsequent  career  was  one  of  honor  and 

usefulness.     He  was  a  great  hater  of  idk'ness,  and 

1  See  the  biography  of  Bainbridge. 
165 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

often  said,  "  Idleness  will  soon  bring  any  man  to 
ruin."  He  liad  fine  commands,  both  ashore  and 
afloat,  and  hoisted  his  broad  pennant  over  sev- 
eral splendid  squadrons.  In  1836  he  commanded 
the  Mediterranean  station.  At  Gibraltar  he  found 
his  old  friend  Dacres,  then  an  admiral,  also  in 
command  of  a  squadron.  The  two  met  with  de- 
light. Admiral  Dacres  showed  Commodore  Hull 
the  greatest  attention,  and  at  a  splendid  dinner 
given  in  his  honor  on  the  British  flagship  the 
admiral  told  Mrs.  Hull,  who  was  present,  the  story 
of  the  saving  of  his  wife's  Bible.  Later,  both  of 
them  having  been  detached  from  their  squadrons, 
they  were  in  Rome  for  a  winter  together,  and  were 
inseparable.  Admiral  Dacres  was  a  remarkably 
tall,  thin  man,  while  Commodore  Hull  was  some- 
what the  size  and  shape  of  a  hogshead;  and 
the  wags  had  infinite  amusement  over  the  queer 
figures  of  these  two  heroic  men. 

On  Commodore  Hull's  retirement  he  made  his 
home  in  Philadelphia.  He  always  wore  his  uni- 
form, and  as  he  walked  the  streets  every  hat  was 
doffed  to  him,  and  the  salute  was  courteously  re- 
turned. The  end  came  in  February,  1843.  His 
last  words  were,  "  I  strike  my  flag,"  —  words  that 
he  had  never  before  had  occasion  to  utter.  He 
was  a  devout  Christian,  and  during  his  whole  life 
he  honestly  lived  up  to  the  requirements  of  a 
just  and  pious  manhood. 


166 


CijARLKs   Stewart 


CHARLES   STEWART. 

In  the  splendid  galaxy  of  naval  officers  of  the 
early  part  of  the  century  each  one  seems  to  have 
gained  some  special  distinction,  equally  brilliant, 
but  differing  entirely  from  any  other.  Thus,  as 
Hull  made  the  most  remark-able  escape  on  record, 
and  Decatur  succeeded  in  the  most  daring  enter- 
prise, so  Stewart  may  be  credited  with  the  most 
superb  seamanship  in  the  one  great  fight  that  fell 
to  his  lot,  for  with  one  ship,  the  glorious  Con- 
stitution, he  fought  two  vessels  at  the  same  time, 
raking  them  repeatedly,  without  once  being  raked 
himself,  and  in  the  end  forcing  the  surrender  of 
both  his  antagonists. 

Charles  Stewart  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in 
1778,  and  entered  the  merchant  service  at  thir- 
teen years  of  age.  At  twenty  he  had  risen  to  the 
command  of  a  fine  vessel  in  the  India  trade,  but 
on  the  reorganization  of  the  navy  in  1798  he  was 
given  a  naval  commission.  His  rise  in  the  navy 
was  rapid,  as  he  was  an  accomplished  seaman 
when  he  joined  it.  After  serving  for  a  short 
time  as  a  midshipman,  he  was  made  the  junior 
lieutenant  on  the  United  States,  frigate,  when 
she  was  commissioned  at  the  beginning  of  hostili- 

167 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

ties  with  France.  With  him  on  this  cruise  were 
Decatur  and  Somers ;  and,  as  Fenimore  Cooper 
aptly  says,  the  noble  frigate  turned  out  to  be  a 
nursery  of  heroes. 

Stewart  began  the  cruise  as  fourth,  and  ended 
it  as  first,  lieutenant.  He  was  of  commanding  fig- 
ure and  of  pleasing  address,  and  his  capacity  was 
such  that  from  the  first  he  was  thought  likely  to 
distinguish  himself. 

When  the  United  States  was  laid  up  in  ordi- 
nary, Stewart  was  given  the  command  of  a  small 
schooner,  the  Experiment.  In  this  little  vessel  he 
showed  much  spirit  and  enterprise,  making  many 
captures,  and  fighting  whenever  he  had  a  chance. 

Stewart  was,  like  Decatur,  of  an  impetuous  and 
even  domineering  disposition,  and  made  every- 
body under  him  "  walk  Spanish,"  as  the  sailors 
said.  But  he  himself  knew  how  to  obey  promptly. 
Once,  having  received  a  peremptory  order  from 
his  superior  ofhcer  to  report  with  his  ship  imme- 
diately, Stewart  sailed,  towing  his  mainmast  after 
him,  as  he  had  not  time  to  have  it  fitted  and  did 
not  choose  to  wait. 

In  1803  he  was  sent  to  the  Mediterranean  with 
the  Siren,  a  beautiful  little  cruiser,  as  a  part 
of  Commodore  Preble's  squadron  destined  to 
reduce  Tripoli.  Stewart  was  tlie  senior  among 
the  commodore's  "  schoolboy  captains,"  and  second 
in  command  to  Commodore  Preble  himself. 

Although  he  had  no  opportunity  of  performing 

168 


CHARLES  STEAVART 

deeds  like  Decatur's  in  the  Tripolitan  war,  his 
general  good  conduct  was  highly  praised,  and 
the  Siren  was  brilliantly  engaged  in  all  the 
glorious  actions  of  that  famous  time.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  war  of  1812  Stewart  was  given 
the  command  of  the  Constellation,  frigate,  which 
shared  with  the  Constitution  the  re})utation  of 
being  a  lucky  ship,  —  lucky  in  meeting  and 
whipping  her  enemies  when  the  force  was  any- 
thing like  equal,  and  lucky  in  running  away 
when  they  Avere  too  many  for  her.  Stewart 
took  command  of  this  nol)le  ship  at  Annapolis 
in  1813.  He  was  ordered  to  Norfolk,  and  took 
the  ship  to  Hampton  Roads.  He  arrived  and 
anchored  one  night,  and  next  morning  at  day- 
light there  were  five  British  men-of-war  in  sight 
of  him.  The  Constellation  endeavored  to  get 
out  of  the  way,  and  the  British  ships  chased  her, 
but,  the  wind  failing,  both  the  pursuers  and  the 
pursued  were  becalmed.  Stewart,  though,  remem- 
bering the  Constitution's  escape  by  kedging  from 
a  British  squadron,  concluded  it  would  never  do 
that  the  Constellation  should  not  succeed  equally 
as  well ;  so,  putting  out  his  boats,  the  frigate 
was  kedged  up  toward  Norfolk,  until  the  tide 
fell,  and  she  took  the  ground  at  Seawell's  Point, 
not  far  from  the  present  Fort  Monroe.  The  mud 
was  soft,  the  ship's  bottom  was  hard,  and  the 
tide  would  rise ;  so  Stewart  felt  no  alarm  about 
her.     The  British  squadron  were  also  waiting  for 

169 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

the  tide,  but  they  did  not  think  that  Stewart 
would  attempt  to  get  his  ship  up  the  narrow  and 
tortuous  channel  to  Norfolk. 

They  did  not  know  Stewart,  though.  As  soon 
as  the  darkness  of  the  winter  night  came,  and 
the  tide  began  to  lift  the  ship  out  of  the  mud,  he 
sent  pilots  ahead  to  buoy  the  channel  with  lights. 
The  ship,  helped  somewhat  by  the  wind,  but 
to\ved  by  the  boats,  would  go  a  mile  or  two  up 
to  the  nearest  buoy,  when  that  light  would  be 
put  out,  and  she  would  be  headed  for  the  next 
one.  So  quietly  was  this  done  that  the  British 
never  suspected  what  was  going  on.  But  when 
daylight  came  there  was  no  Constellation  to  be 
seen ;  she  was  safe  in  the  Elizabeth  River. 

The  British  determined  to  blockade  her  there, 
and  succeeded  in  doing  so ;  but  although  they 
made  several  desperate  attempts  to  carry  her 
by  boarding,  they  never  succeeded.  Stewart  had 
her  so  well  guarded  with  boats,  and  the  boats 
with  a  circle  of  booms,  while  the  ship  was  pro- 
tected with  boarding  netting,  her  guns  kept  double- 
shotted,  and  her  officers  and  crew  always  on  the 
alert,  that  her  enemies  themselves  were  forced  to 
admire  the  care  taken  of  her.  It  Avas  the  joke 
among  the  British,  officers  that  Stewart  must  be 
a  Scotchman,  he  was  so  wary  and  so  watchful 
with  his  ship  ;  and  the  British  Admiral  is  said  to 
have  remarked  :  "  If  that  had  been  a  French  ship, 
we  would  have  had  her  long  ago." 

170 


CHARLES    SlKWAllT 

Havin«^  satisiicd  liiinscir  lliiil  allliough  the 
Constclhitiou  could  not  be  taken,  yet  it  was  un- 
likely that  she  would  get  out  durhig  the  war, 
Stewart  ai)plicd  for  and  got  the  Constitution. 
This  was  in  1814.  The  Constitution  had  tlien 
made  her  celebrated  csca})e  from  Admiral  Brokers 
squadron,  and  had  destroyed  the  Guerriere  and 
the  Java,  —  for  wlien  "  Old  Ironsides  "  got 
through  with  an  enemy,  he  was  generally 
past  saving.  It  may  be  imagined  with  what 
splendid  hopes  Stewart  took  the  great  ship  after 
she  had  been  refitted  at  Boston.  He  got  out, 
although  seven  British  ships  blockaded  Boston, 
and  sailed  to  the  West  Indies.  He  made  a  few 
prizes,  and  took  a  small  British  cruiser ;  but  this 
was  not  enough  for  the  Constitution  to  do. 
Stewart's  disappointment  with  his  cruise  was 
great,  and  it  almost  seemed  as  if  the  ship  were 
no  longer  to  be  a  favorite  of  fortune,  until  she 
was  chased  by  two  frigates,  the  Junon  and  the 
Tenedos,  oft'  the  Massachusetts  coast.  Stewart 
had  a  good  pilot  aboard,  and  he  made  for  Marble- 
head  under  a  spanking  breeze,  with  the  two 
British  frigates  legging  it  briskly  after  him.  The 
Constitution  drew  about  twenty-two  feet  of  water, 
and  Stewart  could  not  conceal  his  anxiety  as 
the  pilot  carried  her  along  the  dangerous  coast, 
and  it  seemed  as  if  any  moment  slie  might  be 
put  on  the  rocks.  Tlie  pilot,  though,  a  cool- 
headed,  steady  fellow,  knew  his  business,  and  was 

171 


TWELVE   NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

nettled  at  Stewart's  evident  uneasiness.  The 
British  ships,  not  knowing  the  coast,  dechned  to 
follow,  and  were  falling  slightly  astern;  but  it 
looked  as  if  the  Constitution  would  only  escape 
one  danger  to  be  destroyed  by  another.  Pres- 
ently Stewart  asked  the  pilot  for  the  hundredth 
time, — 

"  How  many  feet  of  water  has  she  under  her 
keel  now,  pilot  ? " 

"Two,"  answered  the  pilot;  when,  seeing 
Stewart's  countenance  turn  pale  with  apprehen- 
sion, he  added  nonchalantly :  "  And  afore  long 
she  won't  have  but  one !  " 

The  effect  of  this  news  upon  the  captain  of  a 
war-ship  may  be  imagined ;  but  in  a  moment  or 
two  the  ship  slipped  into  deep  water,  and,  carry- 
ing sail  hard,  got  into  Marblehead  safe  and 
sound,  while  cheering  multitudes  flocked  to  the 
shore  to  welcome  her. 

In  a  few  days  Stewart  succeeded  in  slipping 
into  Boston  again,  —  the  sixth  time  in  the  course 
of  the  war  that  the  ship  had  eluded  the  British 
blockade.  Stewart  took  up  his  berth  in  the  upper 
harbor,  and  as  he  was  known  to  be  a  fighting 
captain  with  a  fighting  ship,  the  State  and  city 
authorities  concluded  tliat  they  would  rather  have 
him  a  little  fartlier  off.  Accordingly  they  asked 
him  to  take  his  ship  down  into  the  lower  harbor, 
as,  if  the  British  blockading  fleet  attacked  him 
where  he  was,  the  cannonade  would  do  great  dam- 

172 


CHARLES  STEWART 

age  to  tlic  (own.  Stcwai-t's  reply  to  tliis  request 
was  cliaractci-istic.  lie  coolly  iufoi-incd  thciii  tliat 
lie  sIkmiUI  stay  where  lie  was,  but  it  would  make 
very  little  dilt'erence  to  tlieiu  when]  lie  lay,  as, 
"  if  attacked,  1  shall  make  such  a  defence  as  will 
endang'cr  the  town."  He  recommended  them  to 
build  some  additional  batteries  to  defend  the 
town.  The  authorities  had  to  be  satisfied  with 
this  reply ;  but  they  took  Stewart's  advice,  and 
increased  their  batteries  so  that  they  were  better 
prepared  than  before  to  meet  a  bombardment, 
should  the  British  fleet  treat  them  to  one. 

On  the  ITth  of  December,  1814,  Stewart  again 
slipped  past  the  blockading  fleet,  making  the 
seventh  time  the  Constitution  had  done  this,  and 
sailed  on  his  last  and  greatest  cruise.  He  had 
lately  been  married,  and  it  is  said  that  he  asked 
his  wife  what  he  should  bring  home  to  her.  She 
replied,  "A  British  frigate."  Stewart  replied, 
'*  I  w^ill  bring  you  two  of  them."  He  kept  his 
promise. 

Stewart  was  soon  on  the  broad  ocean.  Noth- 
ing of  note  liai)pened  until  February,  when  one 
morning,  off  the  coast  of  Portugal,  Stewart  sud- 
denly and  from  no  reason  he  was  able  to  give, 
except  an  unaccountable  impulse  to  proceed  to  a 
certain  spot  in  the  Atlantic,  changed  the  ship's 
course  and  ran  off  sixty  miles  to  the  southwest. 
At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  20th  of 
February,  1815,  about  sixty  leagues  southwest  of 

173 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

the  Madeira  islands,  a  small  frigate,  the  Cyane, 
was  sighted,  and  a  little  later  a  large  sloop-of- 
war,  the  Levant.  The  Constitution  immediately 
gave  chase,  although  it  was  thought  that  one  of 
the  ships  was  much  heavier  than  she  really  was, 
as  she  had  double  gun-streaks  and  false  ports 
painted  amidships,  which  the  Americans,  in 
chasing,  took  for  real  guns  and  ports. 

It  soon  became  plain  that  the  two  ships  were 
bent  on  fighting,  but  they  manoeuvred  in  a  very 
masterly  manner  for  several  hours,  in  order  to 
get  together  before  trying  conchisions  with  the 
great  frigate.  At  five  minutes  past  six  o'clock 
they  hove  to  and  hoisted  their  ensigns,  and  the 
Constitution  replied  by  showing  her  colors.  The 
three  ships  were  arranged  like  the  points  of 
an  equilateral  triangle,  —  a  very  advantageous 
position  for  the  two  attacking  ships,  but  one 
which  was  turned  by  the  superb  seamanship  of 
Stewart  to  his  own  profit  by  what  is  commonly 
esteemed  to  have  been  the  finest  manoeuvring 
ever  known  of  an  American  ship  in  action. 
Stewart  fought  his  port  and  starboard  batteries 
alternately,  giving  one  of  his  antagonists  a  terrible 
broadside,  then  wearing,  and  letting  fly  at  the 
other,  raking  them  repeatedly,  and  handling  his 
ship  in  such  a  manner  that  neither  the  Levant  nor 
the  Cyane  ever  got  in  a  single  raking  broadside. 

Soon  after  the  action  began,  a  full  moon  arose 
in  splendor,  and  by  its  radiance  the  battle  went 

174 


CHARLES   STEWART 

on  stoutly.  There  was  a  t^ood  woi-kiiig  bri.'eze, 
aiul  (lie  British  cai)taiiis  liandlcd  their  ships  ad- 
mirahly,  but  ''Old  Ironsides"  appeared  to  be 
})la.\ing  with  thcni.  She  answered  her  hehn 
beautifully,  and  always  presented  lier  broadside 
to  the  shij)  that  attempted  to  apj)roach  her. 
Soon  both  the  British  ships  were  suffering  dread- 
fully, and  the  leading  ship,  the  sloop-of-war 
Levant,  was  forced  to  wear  under  a  raking  broad- 
side from  the  Constitution,  and  ran  off  to  lee- 
ward, unable  to  stand  the  fire.  Having  disposed 
of  her,  the  Constitution  now  turned  her  attention 
to  the  other  ship,  the  light  frigate  Cyane,  and 
another  raking  broadside  caused  her  to  strike  her 
colors.  Stewart  at  once  sent  Lieutenant  Ballard 
and  a  prize  crew  aboard  of  her,  and  after  repair- 
ing the  slight  damages  his  ship  had  sustained, 
set  off  to  look  for  the  Levant.  She  too  had 
repaired  damages,  and,  although  free  to  escape, 
was  gallantly  returning  to  meet  her  mighty  an- 
tagonist again.  For  a  time  the  little  Levant 
bravely  withstood  the  heavy  frigate's  fire,  but  at 
last  was  forced  to  run  away,  the  Constitution 
pursuing  her.  The  two  ships  were  so  close  that 
those  in  the  Constitution  could  hear  the  planks 
ripping  on  the  Levant  as  the  heavy  shot  tore 
through  her.  At  ten  o'clock  she  was  overhauled, 
and  forced  to  strike  also,  and  the  Constitution 
liad  gained  the  most  brilliant  and  seamanlike  of 
all  her  victories. 

175 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

The  Constitution  lost  in  this  fight  three  men 
killed  and  t^Yelve  wounded.  The  other  two  ships 
lost,  altogether,  nineteen  killed  and  forty-two 
wounded. 

The  Constitution,  with  her  two  prizes,  made 
sail  for  Porto  Praya,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
10th  of  March.  Next  day,  about  twelve  o'clock, 
while  the  captured  officers  of  the  Cyane  and 
Levant  were  on  the  quarter-deck,  the  first  lieu- 
tenant, happening  to  pass  along,  heard  a  little 
midshipman  who  had  been  taken  on  the  Cyane 
utter  an  exclamation  to  Captain  Falcon,  late  of 
the  Cyane,  — 

'^  Oh,  Captain  Falcon,"  he  cried,  "  look  at  the 
large  ship  in  the  offing  ! " 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  little  rascal !  "  an- 
swered Captain  Falcon,  in  a  low  voice. 

The  American  lieutenant  looked  up  and  saw, 
on  the  top  of  a  fog  bank  that  lay  on  the  water, 
the  sails  of  a  large  ship.  Indistinctly  as  she  w^as 
seen,  the  squareness  and  smartness  of  her  rig  in- 
duced the  lieutenant  to  think  her  a  man-of-war. 
Instantly  he  w^ent  below  and  told  the  captain. 
Stewart,  who  was  shaving,  without  stopping  in 
his  occupation,  directed  him  to  call  the  men  to 
quarters,  and  make  ready  to  go  out  and  attack 
the  advancing  ship.  The  lieutenant  went  on 
deck,  gave  the  order,  and  it  was  promptly 
obeyed.  The  men  were  not  surprised,  because, 
as  they  explained,  a  dog  belonging  to  the  ship 

176 


CHARLES  STEWART 

had  1)0011  drowned  tliat  day,  and  tlicy  know  they 
would  have  to  fight  or  run  withhi  twenty-four 
hours.  Then  the  lieutenant  noticed  that  two 
more  ships  had  appeared  above  the  fog-bank, 
with  the  first  one.  He  ran  below  to  tell  this  to 
Stewart,  who  was  wiping  his  face  and  getting 
into  his  uniform  at  the  same  time. 

"Cut  the  cables,"  he  said,  "and  signal  the 
prizes  to  do  the  same  and  follow  us  out." 

In  another  minute  he  was  on  deck,  and  the 
cables  were  cut,  leaving  the  anchors  at  the 
bottom,  and  sail  was  being  made  with  perfect 
order  and  marvellous  rapidity.  In  fourteen  min- 
utes from  the  time  the  first  ship  had  been  seen, 
and  ten  minutes  from  the  time  the  Constitu- 
tion's cable  had  been  cut,  the  frigate  was  stand- 
ing out  of  the  roads  under  a  cloud  of  canvas, 
ready  to  fighfc  or  run,  as  occasion  might  require. 

The  trade  winds  were  blowing,  and  the  Con- 
stitution, with  her  two  prizes,  passed  within  gun- 
shot of  the  three  strangers.  Some  of  the  English 
prisoners  who  had  been  landed,  manned  a  battery 
on  shore  and  opened  fire  on  the  Americans.  This 
and  other  circumstances  revealed  to  the  British 
squadron  that  the  three  ships  making  out  to  sea 
were  American  men-of-war,  and  they  promptly 
tacked  and  followed. 

The  British  ships  were  the  Acasta,  of  forty 
guns,  a  very  fast  ship ;  the  Leander,  of  fifty 
guns ;  and  the  Newcastle,  of  fifty  guns,  all  be- 

12  177 


TWELVE   XAVAL   CAPTAINS 

longing  to  Admiral  Sir  George  Collier's  fleet. 
The  British  officers,  prisoners  on  the  Constitu- 
tion, became  jubilant  as  the  British  ships  gained 
on  the  Constitution  with  her  two  prizes,  and 
promised  the  Americans  that  ''  Kerr  in  the 
Acasta"  would  soon  overhaul  the  Americans. 
One  of  the  British  captains,  standing  in  the 
stern  gallery,  called  out  as  the  Acasta  neared 
the  Constitution,  "  Captain  Kerr,  I  envy  you 
your  glory  this  day ! " 

Stewart,  with  his  men  at  quarters  and  every 
rag  of  canvas  set  that  would  draw,  was  edging 
off,  but  prepared  to  fight  the  three  heavy  frigates 
with  the  Constitution  and  the  two  smaller  ships 
if  obliged  to.  He  signalled  the  Cyane  and 
the  Levant  to  take  different  courses,  so  that 
the  British  squadron  might  divide  in  pursuit. 
This  was  done,  and  to  the  amazement  of  the 
Americans  and  the  painful  chagrin  of  the  British 
prisoners  the  Acasta  suddenly  went  about  in 
pursuit  of  the  Levant,  which,  by  a  singular  mis- 
take, was  supposed  to  be  a  heavy  American  frig- 
ate ;  the  other  two  ships  followed,  while  the 
Constitution  was  trotting  off  at  an  eleven-knot 
gait. 

The  Levant  put  back  to  Porto  Praya,  which 
was  a  neutral  port ;  but  the  three  frigates,  after 
chasing  her  in,  opened  fire  on  her,  and  her  com- 
mander, Lieutenant  Ballard,  of  the  Constitu- 
tion, hauled  down  his  flag.     He  had  his  revenge, 

178 


CHARLES   STEWAIIT 

though.  When  tho  l^riiisli  prizo-masicr  came 
on  board  to  take  })Osscssioii  of  llie  Levant,  he 
said,  "  This  is,  I  presume,  the  American  man-of- 
war  Peacock."  "You  are  mistaken,  sir,"  replied 
Ballard  coolly ;  '*  this  is  the  Levant,  late  of  his 
Britannic  Majesty's  navy,  and  prize  to  the  United 
States  ship  Constitution.'* 

The  commander  of  the  British  squadron  was 
censured  at  home  for  his  mistake  in  leaving  the 
Constitution  that  he  might  go  in  pursuit  of 
the  smaller  ship ;  and  the  affair  on  the  part  of 
the  British  was  thought  to  have  been  bungled 
to  the  last  degree. 

Stewart  carried  the  grand  old  ship  into  New 
York  the  middle  of  May,  and  then  learned  that 
peace  had  been  made  many  months  before. 

He  was  received  with  acclamations.  The  peo- 
ple by  that  time  had  come  to  believe  the  ship 
invincible.  Besides  her  glorious  career  before 
Tripoli,  she  had  made  two  extraordinary  escapes 
from  British  squadrons.  She  had  run  the  block- 
ade seven  times  through  large  British  fleets.  She 
had  cai)tured  two  heavy  frigates,  one  light  frig- 
ate, a  large  sloop-of-war,  and  many  merchant- 
ships,  and  had  made  more  than  eleven  hundred 
prisoners.  Her  fire  had  always  been  fearfully 
destructive,  while  she  had  never  had  any  great 
slaughter  on  her  decks,  nine  being  the  largest 
number  killed  in  any  single  engagement.  She 
had  never  lost  her  commanding  officer,  either  by 

179 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

wounds  or  death,  had  never  lost  a  mast,  and  had 
never  taken  the  ground.  This  record  is  not  one 
of  chance.  She  was,  first,  one  of  the  hest  built 
frigates  in  the  world ;  and,  second,  she  was  offi- 
cered and  manned  in  a  surprisingly  good  manner. 
Her  crews  were  generally  made  up  wholly  of 
American  seamen,  and  her  four  great  command- 
ers during  her  warlike  career  —  Preble,  Hull, 
Bainbridge,  and  Stewart  —  would  have  given  a 
good  account  of  any  ships  they  might  have  com- 
manded. 

Congress  rewarded  Stewart  by  a  gold  medal 
and  a  resolution  of  thanks.  His  officers  received 
silver  medals,  and  there  was  the  usual  distri- 
bution of  prize-money  among  the  officers  and 
crew. 

Stewart  had  a  long  and  distinguished  career  in 
the  navy,  rising  in  1859  to  be  senior  officer  ;  but 
his  fighting  days  were  his  early  days.  He  com- 
manded the  Franklin  in  1817,  a  splendid  line- 
of-battle  ship,  and  took  her  to  Europe  under  his 
broad  pennant  as  Commodore.  She  was  visited 
by  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  and  many  royal  per- 
sons, besides  officers  of  high  rank  in  foreign 
navies,  all  of  whom  were  struck  with  admiration 
at  her  beauty,  force,  and  the  fine  crew  she  car- 
ried. Stewart  was  retired  in  1861,  and  spent  his 
last  days  at  his  country -place,  ''  Old  Ironsides," 
in  New  Jersey.  Among  the  souvenirs  of  his  great 
fight  was  a  rude  iron  hilt  to  his  full-dress  sword, 

ISO 


CHARLES   STKWAllT 

a  super!)  Toledo  blade.  The  gold  hilt  had  hecn 
shot  away  in  his  great  fight,  and  the  ship's  ar- 
morer had  made  an  iron  one,  which  Stewart  after- 
ward wore. 

He  died  in  1869,  after  having  been  borne  on  the 
navy  list  for  seventy-one  years,  and  he  was  the 
last  survivor  of  the  great  captains  of  1812-15. 


181 


OLIVER  HAZARD   PERRY. 

The  victory  won  by  Perry  on  Lake  Erie,  Sep- 
tember 10, 1813,  has  ever  been  one  of  great  popu- 
lar renown.  It  was  won  in  the  sight  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  American  people ;  it  was  the  first 
success  the  American  navy  ever  won  in  squad- 
ron ;  the  consequences  were  important ;  and  the 
fact  that  the  battle  was  won  on  the  Canadian 
line,  where  the  American  army  had  met  with 
reverses,  was  gratifying  to  the  national  vanity. 

Perry's  youth  —  he  was  barely  eight-and-twenty 
—  was  a  captivating  element  in  his  success,  and 
as  the  victory  was  due  in  a  great  measure  to  his 
personal  intrepidity,  he  was  justly  admired  for  it. 
He  cannot  be  classed  with  those  American  com- 
manders, like  Paul  Jones,  Preble,  Decatur,  and 
Hull,  who,  either  in  meeting  danger  or  escaping 
from  it,  seemed  able  to  compass  the  impossible  ; 
but  he  was  a  man  of  good  talents,  of  admirable 
coolness  and  courage,  and  prone  to  seek  active 
duty  and  to  do  it. 

Perry  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  in  1785.  His 
father  was  a  captain  in  the  infant  navy  of  the 
country,  as  it  was  reorganized  at  the  time  of  the 
French  aggressions.     Captain  Perry's  first  duty 

182 


Olivkk    II.    ViAiir 


OLIVER   HAZARD  PERRY 

was  to  supervise  the  building  of  a  ves.s(;l  of  war  at 
Warren,  Rhode  Island,  some  distance  from  his 
home.  He  found  it  necessary  to  remove  to  War- 
ren, and  took  with  him  Mrs.  Perry,  leaving  the 
home-place  in  charge  of  Oliver,  then  a  boy  of  thir- 
teen, lie  was,  even  then,  a  boy  of  so  much 
steadiness  and  integrity  that  he  was  found  quite 
equal  to  this  task.  The  fever  for  the  sea,  though, 
seems  to  have  seized  him  about  that  time,  and  in 
1799,  his  father  having  command  of  a  small 
frigate,  the  General  Greene,  Oliver  was  given  a 
midshipman's  commission,  and  joined  his  father's 
ship.  Captain  Perry  was  an  officer  of  spirit  and 
enterprise,  and  Oliver  saw  some  real,  if  not  war- 
like, service  in  the  General  Greene. 

His  next  cruise  was  in  the  Adams,  frigate, 
which  was  sent  out  in  1802  to  join  Commodore 
Morris's  squadron  at  Gibraltar.  The  orders  of 
the  squadron  were  to  watch  the  ships  of  the 
Barbary  powers,  and  to  prevent  as  far  as  possi- 
ble their  aggressions  upon  American  commerce. 
This  was  hard  and  thankless  work,  and  most  of 
the  younger  officers  who  made  the  Mediterranean 
cruise  in  1802-3  considered  themselves  as  pecu- 
liarly unfortunate,  as  they  were  generally  ordered 
to  return  to  the  United  States  just  at  the  time 
that  the  active  hostilities  began,  in  which  their 
successors  reaped  so  much  glory.  Perry  was  one 
of  those  who  made  the  uneventful  cruise  of  1802. 
He  enjoyed  great  advantages,  though,  in  sailing 

183 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

on  a  ship  of  which  Isaac  Hull,  afterv/ard  the  cele- 
brated commodore,  was  first  lieutenant.  Hull's 
admirable  seamanship  in  navigating  the  narrow 
straits  of  Gibraltar  in  all  weathers,  and  the  block- 
ading of  Tripoli  for  eiglit  months  during  an  in- 
clement season,  upon  a  dangerous  coast,  without 
pilots  and  with  insufficient  charts,  was  a  subject 
of  general  commendation  from  the  officers  of  the 
squadron.  Perry  improved  his  opportunities  so 
well  that  he  was  given  an  appointment  as  act- 
ing lieutenant  the  day  he  was  seventeen  years 
old.  It  is  believed  that  this  is  the  most 
rapid  instance  of  promotion  in  the  American 
navy. 

Perry  returned  home  in  the  Adams  in  the 
autumn  of  1803.  The  next  summer  it  was 
known  that  a  determined  attempt  would  be  made 
by  Preble's  squadron  to  reduce  the  Barbary 
powers,  and  Perry  was  extremely  anxious  to  be 
on  the  scene  of  action.  He  found  himself  ordered 
to  the  Constellation,  in  the  squadron  under  Com- 
modore Barron  which  was  sent  out  to  assist 
Preble ;  but  the  Constellation  and  the  Presi- 
dent, forty-four  guns,  did  not  reach  Tripoli  until 
Preble  had  practically  completed  the  work. 
Perry  remained  in  the  Constellation  several 
months ;  but  as  she  was  too  large  to  be  of  much 
service  on  that  coast,  Perry  thought  himself  for- 
tunate to  be  ordered  to  the  schooner  Nautilus, 
of  fourteen  guns,  as  first  lieutenant.     This  was 

184 


OLIVER   IIAZAllI)   PERRY 

his  first  duty  in  that  responsible  capacity,  and  he 
acquitted  himself  well,  although  only  twenty  yeai's 
old.  He  had  a  beautiful  and  penetrating  voice, 
and  this,  in  addition  to  his  other  qualifications, 
made  him  a  brilliant  deck  officer. 

He  took  part  in  the  opei'ations  off  Derne,  and 
was  highly  commended  for  his  conduct.  In  the 
autumn  of  180G  he  returned  home,  and  served  at 
home  stations  until  1809,  when  he  got  his  first 
command.  This  was  a  smart  little  schooner,  the 
Revenge,  of  fourteen  guns. 

At  that  time  the  occurrences  which  led  to  the 
war  of  1812-15  were  taking  place,  and  Perry 
soon  had  a  chance  to  show  his  determination  to 
maintain  the  dignity  of  the  flag  he  fiew.  An 
American  vessel  had  been  run  away  with  by  the 
English  captain  who  commanded  her  and  who 
had  hoisted  British  colors  over  her.  Perry  deter- 
mined to  take  possession  of  her,  although  two 
small  British  cruisers  lay  near  her.  This  he  did, 
supported  by  three  gunboats.  The  British 
cruisers,  appreciating  the  justice  of  his  conduct, 
did  not  interfere,  although  Perry  had  no  means  of 
knowing  whether  they  would  or  not  and  took  all 
the  chances.  As  he  was  carrying  the  vessel  off, 
he  was  met  by  a  British  sloop-of-war,  and  her 
captain  sent  a  boat,  with  a  request  that  Perry 
should  come  aboard.  This  Perry  flatly  refused, 
and,  determined  that  his  ship  should  not  be  caught 
unprepared   as  the   Leopard   caught  the   Chesa- 

185 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAHSTS 

peake  in  1807,^  he  sent  his  men  to  quarters, 
and  made  every  preparation  to  resist;  but  the 
British  ship  passed  on,  and  no  collision  occurred. 
In  January,  1811,  Perry  had  the  misfortune  to 
lose  the  Revenge  by  shipwreck  off  Watch  Hill, 
in  Rhode  Island ;  but  the  court  of  inquiry  which 
investigated  it  acquitted  him  of  blame,  and 
praised  his  conduct  at  the  time  of  the  accident. 

When  war  was  declared  with  Great  Britain, 
Perry  was  in  command  of  a  division  of  gunboats 
at  Newport;  but  finding  there  was  little  chance 
of  seeing  active  service  in  that  duty,  he  asked  to 
be  sent  to  the  lakes,  where  Commodore  Chauncey 
was  preparing  to  dispute  the  possession  of  those 
great  inland  seas  with  the  British. 

In  the  spring  of  1813  Perry  arrived  at  Lake 
Erie,  and  entered  upon  his  duties.  The  small  fleet 
to  oppose  the  British  had  to  be  constructed  in 
the  wilderness,  on  the  shores  of  the  lake ;  and 
men  and  material  had  to  be  transported  at  great 
labor  and  cost  from  the  seaboard. 

Perry  showed  the  utmost  skill,  energy,  and  vig- 
ilance in  his  arduous  work,  and  built  and  equipped 
his  little  squadron  in  a  manner  most  creditable  to 
himself  and  his  subordinates. 

The  land  forces,  operating  together  with  the 
seamen  and  marines,  got  command  of  the  Niagara 
River ;  but  a  little  British  squadron  guarded  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  at  which  there  was  a  bar 

1  See  the  biography  of  James  Lawrence. 
186 


OLIVER   HAZARD   PERRY 

which  it  was  thought  unlikely  the  Americans 
could  pass  and  so  get  into  the  lake  itself.  Perry, 
however,  watched  his  chance,  and  on  a  Sunday 
afternoon  in  August,  1813,  to  his  surprise,  he 
found  the  British  squadron  had  disappeared.  It 
was  said  that  the  British  commander,  Barclay, 
had  gone  over  to  the  Canadian  side  to  attend  a 
dinner,  thinking  the  Americans  could  not  possibly 
get  over  the  bar  before  his  return.  But  Perry  and 
his  officers  and  men  went  to  work,  and  by  the 
most  arduous  labor  they  got  all  the  vessels  into 
the  lake  before  Captain  Barclay  returned.  Once 
in  the  lake,  the  Americans  were  much  stronger 
than  the  British,  and  Perry  determined  to  go  in 
search  of  the  enemy.  He  had  much  sickness  on 
his  little  squadron,  and  was  ill  himself,  so  that  it 
was  not  until  early  in  September  that  he  was  pre- 
pared to  fight.  Meanwhile  the  British,  although 
having  only  six  vessels  to  oppose  to  Perry's  nine, 
undauntedly  sought  the  conflict,  and  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  10th  of  September,  while  Perry  was  in 
Put-in-Bay,  he  saw  the  little  British  squadron 
standing  in  the  offing.  Perry  had  two  brigs, 
the  Lawrence,  —  his  own  flagship,  named  for 
the  brave  Lawrence,  —  and  the  Niagara,  each  of 
Avliich  carried  twenty  guns ;  and  he  had  five 
smaller  vessels.  Captain  Barclay  had  the  Detroit, 
—  his  flagship,  of  nineteen  guns,  —  the  Queen 
Charlotte,  of  seventeen  guns,  and  four  smaller 
vessels. 

187 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

The  wind  was  light  and  variable,  so  that  the 
American  vessels  came  out  slowly ;  but  the  little 
British  squadron  waited  with  their  topsails  to  the 
mast,  until  a  quarter  to  twelve,  when  the  first 
shot  was  fired  by  the  Detroit.  In  a  very  little 
while  the  action  became  general,  each  American 
and  British  vessel  bravely  doing  its  best  to  get 
alongside  its  enemy.  It  was  the  effort  of  the 
gallant  commanders  of  the  American  and  British 
squadrons  to  fight  flagship  to  flagship;  and  in 
doing  this.  Perry,  in  the  Lawrence,  drew  ahead  of 
his  column,  and  concentrated  upon  his  ship  the 
fire  from  the  Detroit  and  two  other  vessels.  The 
British  fought  their  batteries  with  unusual  skill, 
and  the  result  soon  was  that  a  dreadful  slaughter 
took  place  on  the  Lawrence's  decks,  her  guns 
were  silenced,  and  she  was  so  much  cut  up  that 
she  was  totally  unmanageable.  But  Perry,  with 
indomitable  courage,  continued  the  fight.  He 
himself,  with  the  help  of  the  purser  and  the  chap- 
lain, fired  the  last  gun  available  on  the  Lawrence. 
Her  consort,  the  Niagara,  approached  about  this 
time,  the  wind  sprang  up,  and  Perry,  seeing  that 
the  battle  was  passing  ahead  of  him,  determined 
to  abandon  his  own  unfortunate  ship  and  make 
for  the  Niagara.  He  ordered  a  boat  lowered, 
and,  taking  with  him  his  brother,  a  little  midship- 
man of  thirteen  years  old,  he  was  rapidly  pulled 
to  the  Niagara.  Once  on  board  of  her,  he  bore 
up,  and  soon  got  her  into  a  position  to  rake  both 

188 


OLIVER   HAZAIII)   TERRY 

the  Detroit  and  the  Queen  Charlotte  with  fearful 
effect.  These  two  vessels,  after  an  heroic  defence, 
were  compelled  to  strike,  while  the  seven  smaller 
American  gunboats  soon  overpowered  the  four 
British  ones.  The  Detroit,  however,  before  strik- 
ing had  forced  the  Lawrence  to  haul  down  her 
colors;  and  the  fight,  as  all  the  others  during  this 
war,  was  as  creditable  to  British  as  to  American 
valor. 

The  first  news  of  the  victory  was  in  Perry's 
celebrated  despatch :  "  We  have  met  the  enemy, 
and  they  are  ours."  The  news  from  the  Canadian 
border  had  not  always  been  gratifying,  and  on 
that  account  the  American  people  were  the  more 
delighted  at  this  success.  Perry  was  given  a 
gold  medal  and  promoted  to  be  a  post-captain  ; 
for  although  he  had  been  called  commodore  by 
courtesy,  such  was  not  his  real  rank  at  the 
time. 

Perry  had  no  further  opportunity  of  distinguish- 
ing liimself  before  peace  was  declared,  in  January, 
1815.  He  obtained  afterward  some  of  the  best 
commands  in  the  navy,  and  in  March,  1819,  he 
became  a  commodore  in  fact,  by  being  given  the 
command  of  a  squadron  in  South  America  des- 
tined to  protect  American  trade  in  those  quar- 
ters. He  hoisted  his  broad  pennant  on  the  John 
Adams,  and  sailed  in  June,  He  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  Orinoco  River  in  August,  and,  al- 
though it  was  in  the  midst  of  the  sickly  season, 

189 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

he  determined  to  go  up  the  river  to  Angostura. 
He  shifted  his  flag  to  the  Nonesuch,  schooner, 
and  sent  the  frigate  to  Trinidad. 

After  reaching  Angostura  he  remained  twenty 
days.  Yellow  fever  was  raging,  and  Perry  seems 
to  have  been  singularly  indifferent  to  this  fact. 
Fever  broke  out  on  the  schooner,  and  it  was  then 
determined  to  get  back  to  the  sea  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. As  they  dropped  down  the  river  with  the 
powerful  current  two  days  after  leaving  Angos- 
tura, Perry  got  into  his  gig,  and  amused  himself 
shooting  wildfowl  on  the  banks.  He  was  exposed 
to  the  sun,  and  that  night,  after  going  aboard  the 
schooner,  which  was  anchored  on  the  bar  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  the  weather  grew  bad,  with  a 
heavy  sea,  which  washed  over  the  side  and  leaked 
down  into  Perry's  cabin,  drenching  him.  Next 
morning  he  was  very  ill. 

From  the  first  he  felt  that  he  should  not  re- 
cover, and,  although  calmly  preparing  for  death, 
spoke  often  of  his  young  wife  and  little  children 
at  home.  He  was  very  anxious  to  live  until  the 
schooner  could  reach  Trinidad  and  he  could,  at 
least,  die  upon  his  ship.  At  last,  on  the  23d  of 
August,  the  Nonesuch  reached  Port  Spain,  Trini- 
dad, where  the  John  Adams  was  at  anchor.  A 
boat  put  off  at  once  from  the  frigate  carrying 
the  first  lieutenant  and  other  officers,  in  response 
to  the  signal  from  the  schooner.  They  found 
Perry  in  the   agonies  of   death   on  the  floor   of 

190 


OLIVER   HAZARD   TKRHY 

the  little  cabin.  lie  survived  long  enough  to 
show  satisfaction  at  seeing  them,  and  asked  feebly 
about  tlie  ship ;  but  in  a  little  while  the  anxious 
watchers  on  the  frigate  saw  the  flag  on  the 
Nonesuch  slowly  half-masted,  —  Perry  was  no 
more. 

He  was  buried  at  Trinidad  with  full  military 
honors.  Some  years  afterward  a  ship  of  war  was 
sent  by  the  government  to  bring  back  his  remains 
to  his  native  country.  He  sleeps  at  Newport, 
Rhode  Island,  near  the  spot  where  he  was  born ; 
and  the  reputation  he  left  behind  him  is  that  of 
a  gallant,  capable,  and  devoted  officer. 


191 


THOMAS  MACDONOUGH. 

Thomas  Macdonough  may  be  called  the  Young 
Commodore  ;  for  he  was  an  acting  commodore  at 
the  age  of  thirty-one,  when  the  modern  naval 
officer  is  still  in  subordinate  grades  of  rank.  It 
is  truly  astonishing  what  wonders  were  accom- 
plished by  men  in  their  first  manhood  in  the 
early  days  of  the  American  navy,  and  Macdonough 
had  seen  as  much  service  as  most  veterans  before 
his  twenty-first  birthday.  He  was  a  son  of  a 
Revolutionary  officer,  and  was  born  in  Delaware 
in  1783.  His  diffident  and  retiring  disposition 
was  early  marked.  Fenimore  Cooper  speaks  of 
him  in  his  midshipman  days  as  "  the  modest  but 
lion-hearted  Macdonough."  The  words  describe 
him  admirably ;  for  this  quiet,  silent  midshipman 
was  always  to  be  found  leading  the  forlorn  hope, 
—  "  the  lost  children,"  as  the  French  expressively 
call  it. 

Indeed,  Macdonough's  character  as  an  officer 
and  a  man  is  as  nearly  perfect  as  can  be  ima- 
gined ;  and  when  his  great  talents  are  considered, 
he  may  well  be  held  as  a  type  of  what  the  Amer- 
ican naval  officer  should  be.  He  entered  the 
navy  in  1800,  when  he  was  seventeen,  which  was 

192 


Tiio^i  AS    .MA('D()Nor(;i! 


THOMAS   MACUONOUGH 

rather  old  lor  a  midshipman  in  tliosc  days.  He 
had  enjoyed  a  good  education  for  liis  years,  and 
remained  a  close  student  all  his  life.  lie  was 
deeply  but  not  obtrusively  religious,  and  no  hu- 
man being  ever  heard  a  low  or  profane  word 
from  his  lips. 

Such  a  young  man  as  Thomas  Macdonough 
must  make  his  mark  early,  and  from  the  first  his 
commanding  olTicers  reposed  the  greatest  confi- 
dence in  him.  lie  was  ordered  to  the  Philadel- 
phia, under  Captain  Bainbridge,  when  Commo- 
dore Preble  went  out  in  1803  to  reduce  the  Afri- 
can pirates.  He  happened  to  have  been  detached 
from  the  Philadelphia  and  in  command  of  a 
prize  at  Gibraltar  when  the  unfortunate  ship  went 
upon  the  rocks  near  Tripoli,  October  31,  1803, 
and  he  thus  escaped  the  long  captivity  of  his 
shipmates.  He  reported  promptly  to  Commo- 
dore Preble,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Enterprise, 
schooner,  under  Decatur,  then  a  young  lieutenant 
commandant  of  less  than  twenty-five  years.  It 
may  be  imagined  that  no  officer  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean squadron  felt  a  more  ardent  desire  than 
Macdonough  to  rescue  Bainbridge  and  his  men 
and  to  destroy  the  Philadelphia. 

At  last  Decatur  organized  his  celebrated  ex- 
pedition in  the  ketch  Intrepid,  and  among  the 
eleven  officers  he  selected  for  that  glorious  enter- 
prise was  ^Facdonough.  At  that  time  ^Macdonough 
was  still  a  midshipman.     He  was  tall  and  very 

13  103 


TWELVE   NAVAL    CAPTAINS 

slender,  never  having  been  physically  strong ;  but 
he  was,  even  then,  a  man  for  the  post  of  danger. 

The  ketch  set  off  on  the  3d  of  February  from 
Syracuse  and  returned  on  the  19th,  having  in 
that  time  entered  the  well-guarded  harbor  of 
Tripoli  by  night,  burned  the  Philadelphia  at 
her  moorings,  and  escaped  without  losing  a  man. 
Macdonough  was  the  third  man  on  the  Phila- 
delphia's deck,  and  was  especially  active  in  his 
work  of  distributing  the  powder  for  the  ship's 
destruction  in  her  storerooms  aft.  No  officer  in 
that  glorious  expedition  conducted  himself  better 
than  Macdonough;  and  when  it  is  remembered 
that  Decatur  commanded  it,  that  James  Lawrence 
was  one  of  his  lieutenants,  and  Charles  Morris, 
who  was  afterward  Captain  Hull's  first  lieutenant 
in  the  escape  of  the  Constitution  and  the  capture 
of  the  Guerriere,  was  one  of  the  midshipmen,  it 
will  be  seen  that  Macdonough  was  measured  by 
no  common  standard. 

Macdonough  shared  in  all  the  glory  of  those 
splendid  campaigns,  and  received  the  thanks  and 
commendations  of  his  superiors,  besides  promo- 
tion. In  1806  he  was  made  first  lieutenant  of  the 
Siren,  one  of  the  smart  brigs  that  had  done 
good  service  during  the  Tripolitan  war.  She  was 
at  Gibraltar,  where  the  British  navy  is  always 
very  much  in  evidence  ;  and  Macdonough,  the  mild 
and  forbearing,  soon  had  a  chance  of  showing  the 
stuff  that  was  in  him.     One  day,  while  his  com- 

194 


THOMAS  MACDONOl'dll 

manding  oITiccr,  Captain  Sniiili,  was  on  shore, 
Macdonongli  noticed  a  boat  going  from  a  lieavy 
British  frigate  that  lay  close  to  an  American 
merchant  vessel.  When  the  boat  repassed  the 
Siren,  on  her  way  back  to  the  frigate,  she  car- 
ried one  more  man  than  she  had  on  leaving  the 
frigate.  In  those  days,  if  a  British  captain  sus- 
pected an  American  merchant  vessel  of  having  a 
British  subject  among  the  crew,  it  was  common 
enough  to  seize  the  man,  and  when  once  on  board 
a  British  ship,  it  mattered  little  whether  he  were 
American  or  British,  there  he  had  to  stay.  ^lac- 
donough  suspected  this  to  be  the  case,  and  sent 
a  boat  to  the  brig  to  ask  if  a  man  had  been 
taken  and  if  he  were  an  American.  Such  was 
actually  reported.  Macdonough  at  once  ordered 
the  first  cutter  lowered,  and  although  she  pulled 
only  four  oars  and  the  British  boat  pulled  eiglit, 
he  set  off  in  pursuit.  He  did  not  catch  up  with 
the  British  boat  until  she  was  directly  under  the 
frigate's  quarter,  and  the  man  in  the  bow  had 
raised  his  boat-hook.  Suddenly  Macdonough 
reached  forward,  and,  catching  hold  of  the  pris- 
oner, who  sat  in  the  stern  sheets,  lifted  him 
bodily  into  the  American  boat,  and  before  the 
British  could  believe  their  eyes,  was  well  started 
on  his  way  back  to  the  Siren. 

The  captain  of  the  frigate  had  seen  the  whole 
affair,  and  in  a  rage  he  jumped  into  a  boat  and 
headed  for  the  Siren.     When  he  reached  her  the 

195 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

men  of  the  cutter  had  gone  aboard,  and  the 
young  lieutenant  was  calmly  walking  the  quarter- 
deck. The  captain  angrily  demanded  the  man, 
and  asked  if  Macdonough  knew  the  responsibility 
he  was  taking  upon  himself  in  Captain  Smith's 
absence. 

''  I  will  not  give  up  the  man,  and  I  am  account- 
able only  to  the  captain  of  this  ship,"  replied 
Macdonough. 

''  I  could  blow  you  out  of  the  water  at  this 
moment,"  said  the  captain. 

"  No  doubt  you  are  perfectly  able  to  do  it,"  an- 
swered Macdonough  ;  "  but  I  will  never  give  up 
that  man  as  long  as  this  ship  will  float." 

*'  You  are  a  very  indiscreet  and  a  very  young 
man,"  continued  the  captain.  "  Suppose  I  had 
been  in  the  boat  just  now  ? " 

"  I  would  have  taken  the  man  or  lost  my  life." 
"  What,  sir  !  "  cried  the  captain  ;   ''  would  you 
dare  to  stop  me  now  if  I  were  to  get  hold  of  the 
man  ? " 

"  I  would,  and  you  have  only  to  try  it,"  was 
Macdonough's  undaunted  reply. 

The  captain,  seeing  nothing  was  to  be  got  out 
of  the  resolute  young  lieutenant,  left  the  ship, 
but  was  pulled  toward  the  merchant  ship.  Mac- 
donough had  a  boat  lowered  which  followed  the 
British  boat,  watching  her  until  she  returned  to 
the  frigate.  This  action  not  only  won  the  good 
opinion  of  the  captain  and  other  officers  and  men 

196 


THOMAS  MACDONOrciI 

of  the  Siren,  but  of  many  of  the  Britisli  ofilcers 
as  well,  who  knew  how  to  respect  a  man  of  such 
resolute  courage. 

Macdonough  was  ever  afterward  treated  with 
the  utmost  consideration  and  politeness  by  all  the 
British  officers  at  Gibraltar,  including  the  officers 
of  the  overbearing  captain. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain 
Macdonough  was  what  was  then  termed  a  master 
commandant.  His  was  not  the  fortune  of  Deca- 
tur, Stewart,  and  others  of  his  brave  shipmates 
to  seek  for  glory  on  the  wide  ocean,  but  he  was 
sent  into  the  wilderness,  as  it  were,  to  create  a 
navy,  and  to  fight  the  British  on  tlie  great  lakes. 
He  established  himself  with  his  seamen  and  work- 
men on  the  shores  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  be- 
gan immediately  the  construction  of  a  fleet. 
Officers  and  men  worked  with  the  greatest  ardor, 
and  the  commodore,  as  Macdonough  was  now 
called  by  courtesy,  might  often  liave  been  seen 
handling  the  saw  and  plane.  A  corvette,  called 
the  Saratoga,  and  meant  for  the  commodore's 
flagship,  was  begun,  with  several  smaller  vessels ; 
and  so  rapidly  did  they  advance  that  only  a  few 
weeks  from  the  time  the  trees  were  cut  down  in 
the  forest  the  vessels  were  launched  and  being- 
made  ready  for  their  guns.  These  had  to  be 
dragged  many  hundreds  of  miles  through  a  path- 
less wilderness,  such  as  the  northern  and  western 
part  of  New  York  was  then.     It  was  difficult,  but 

197 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

still  it  could  be  done.  When  it  came  to  trans- 
porting the  cables,  though,  a  point  was  reached, 
about  forty  miles  from  the  lake  shore  where  the 
vessels  were  building,  when  it  seemed  impossible 
to  move  a  step  farther.  There  were  no  roads, 
and  the  cables  had  been  brought  in  ox-wagons, 
which  now  came  to  a  complete  standstill.  No 
one  knew  what  to  do  until  an  old  sailor  proposed 
that  they  should  stretch  each  cable  its  whole 
length,  and  men,  stationed  ten  yards  apart,  should 
shoulder  it  and  carry  it  the  forty  miles  remaining  ; 
and  this  was  actually  done. 

Meanwhile  the  British  had  not  been  idle,  and 
they  too,  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  had  built 
a  frigate,  called  the  Confiance,  that  was  heavier 
than  the  Saratoga,  and  they  had  other  smaller 
vessels.  Their  commanding  officer,  Captain 
Downie,  was  a  worthy  antagonist  of  Commodore 
Macdonough,  and  about  the  same  age,  while  the 
British  vessels  were  manned  by  seasoned  sailors, 
many  of  whom  had  served  under  Nelson  and 
CoUingwood. 

Early  in  September,  1814,  both  squadrons  being 
ready  to  fight.  Commodore  Macdonough  chose  his 
position  with  a  seaman's  eye,  in  Plattsburg  bay. 
He  knew  that  his  enemy  would  hunt  for  him 
wherever  he  might  be,  and  he  chose  to  fight 
at  anchor,  rightly  supposing  that  the  British, 
through  their  greater  experience,  could  conduct 
the   evolutions   of   a   squadron    better   than   the 

198 


THOMAS   MACDONOUGH 

Americans  ;  for,  wliilc  none  could  be  more  dar- 
ing in  action  (lian  Macdonough,  none  was  more 
prudent  beforehand.  The  exact  knowledge  he 
had  of  the  elements  for  and  against  him  explains 
much  of  his  success. 

On  the  night  of  the  9th  of  September,  in  the 
midst  of  storm  and  tempest,  the  American  squad- 
ron made  its  way  up  the  lake  to  Plattsburg  har- 
bor. The  next  morning  saw  it  anchored  in  the 
admirable  order  devised  by  Commodore  Mac- 
donough's  genius.  The  flagship,  Saratoga,  the 
heaviest  ship  in  the  squadron,  was  in  the  middle 
of  the  line.  Ahead  of  her  was  ranged  the  gun- 
brig  Eagle,  commanded  by  Captain  Cassin,  who 
had  been  one  of  Commodore  Preble's  midship- 
men with  Macdonough,  eleven  years  before.  The 
Eagle  had  shoal  water  off  her  beam,  so  that  the 
head  of  the  line  could  not  be  turned.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  Saratoga  was  the  Ticonderoga, 
a  small  sloop-of-war,  while  beyond  her  was  the 
little  Preble,  named  for  the  great  commodore, 
who  was  no  more.  There  were,  besides,  ten 
small  gunboats,  of  which  the  Eagle  was  sup- 
ported by  two,  the  Saratoga  by  three,  the  Ticon- 
deroga by  two,  while  the  remaining  two  were  to 
assist  the  Preble  in  defending  the  end  of  the  line. 
All  of  the  vessels  were  riding  easily  at  anchor, 
and  all  of  them  were  provided  with  springs  to 
their  anchors  and  kedgcs,  to  enable  them  to 
change  their   position  at  will.     The  wisdom   of 

199 


TWELVE   NAVAL    CAPTAINS 

this  precaution  was  shown  on  the  great  day  for 
which  they  were  prepared. 

On  the  11th  of  September.  1814,  a  brilliant 
Sunday  morning,  just  at  sunrise,  the  dazzling 
white  topsails  of  the  British  fleet  were  seen  pass- 
ing along  the  neck  of  land  called  Cumberland 
Head,  which  juts  into  the  bay.  The  American 
guard-boat  pulled  in,  all  hands  were  called  to 
quarters  in  the  American  squadron,  and  an  Amer- 
ican ensign  was  set  at  every  masthead.  Then  on 
board  the  flagship  was  made  the  signal  for  divine 
service,  and  Commodore  Macdonough,  kneeling 
upon  his  quarterdeck,  surrounded  by  his  officers 
and  in  hearing  of  his  men,  with  every  head  bared, 
read  the  prayers  appointed  to  be  read  before  a  fight 
at  sea.  After  this  brief  but  solemn  act  all  awaited 
the  onset  with  steadiness  and  cheerfulness. 

It  had  been  suggested  to  him  that  he  should 
issue  an  extra  allowance  of  grog  to  the  men,  but 
he  replied,  — 

"  No.  My  men  shall  go  cool  into  action  ;  they 
need  no  stimulant  beyond  their  native  valor." 

The  American  vessels  were  so  skilfully  moored 
that  no  matter  from  what  quarter  the  wind  was, 
the  British  were  obliged  to  approach  them  "  bows 
on,"  a  very  dangerous  way  to  attack  a  bold  and 
skilful  enemy. 

The  British  rounded  the  headland  in  noble 
style.  The  Confiance  was  leading,  her  brave 
commander.    Captain   Downie,   fatally    conspicu- 

200 


THOMAS  MACDONOUCII 

Oils  on  her  deck,  liis  breast  covered  with  medals 
gloriously  earned.  Followin<^  her,  came  three 
smaller  vessels,  the  Finch,  the  Chul)b,  and  the 
Linnet,  and  twelve  gunboats,  carrying  both  sol- 
diers and  sailors,  and  each  armed  with  a  single 
long  eighteen-pound  carronade. 

As  the  four  British  ships,  each  on  the  same 
tack,  ncarcd  the  American  line,  the  Eagle  sud- 
denly roared  out  a  broadside.  The  shot  fell 
short,  and  the  British  squadron  came  on,  with 
majestic  steadiness,  without  replying,  until  the 
Linnet  was  abreast  of  the  Ticonderoga.  Then 
the  Linnet  let  fly  a  broadside,  of  which  every 
shot  dropped  into  the  water  except  one.  This 
one  shot,  though,  struck  a  chicken-coop  on  the 
Ticonderoga's  deck  and  smashed  it,  letting  out 
a  young  game-cock,  a  pet  with  the  Ticonderoga's 
men.  The  game-cock,  delighted  to  get  his 
liberty,  jumped  upon  a  gun-slide  and  uttered 
a  long,  loud,  and  defiant  crow  at  the  British 
vessel,  which  he  seemed  to  think  had  directed 
her  wdiole  broadside  at  him.  The  Americans 
burst  into  three  ringing  cheers,  that  shook  the 
deck,  delighted  with  the  game-cock's  courage, 
which  he  proved  further  by  flying  up  into  the 
rigging  and  crowing  vociferously  all  the  time  the 
British  were  advancing. 

The  Confiance  came  on  steadily  until  just 
abreast  of  the  Saratoga,  when  Commodore  Mac- 
donough  himself,  sighting  a  twenty-four  pounder, 

201 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

fired  the  first  effective  gun  of  the  battle.  It  struck 
the  Confiauce  near  the  hawse-hole,  and  ranged  the 
whole  length  of  her  deck,  doing  fearful  damage 
and  splintering  her  wheel.  A  terrible  broad- 
side followed ;  but  the  Confiance  as  if  disdain- 
ing to  answer,  moved  proudly  on  to  engage  at 
close  quarters,  and  not  until  the  wind  became 
light  and  baffling  did  she  port  her  helm  about  two 
cables'  length  from  the  Saratoga.  Then  she 
opened  upon  the  corvette.  Her  guns  were  double- 
shotted,  and  their  effect  at  close  range,  in  a  per- 
fectly smooth  sea,  was  frightful.  Meanwhile  the 
Linnet  and  the  Chubb  had  taken  position  abeam 
of  the  Eagle,  and  attacked  her  with  great  fury. 
The  gunboats  had  fallen  upon  the  little  Preble, 
and  soon  drove  her  out  of  line,  when  with  the 
Finch  they  concentrated  their  fire  upon  the  Ti- 
conderoga.  The  gallant  little  brig  gave  them 
plenty  to  do,  and  stubbornly  defended  the  end 
of  the  line.  At  one  moment  the  gunboats  would 
advance  upon  her,  the  men  standing  up  ready 
to  board  her,  and  would  be  beaten  off  in  the 
act  of  entering  her  ports  or  springing  upon  her 
decks.  Then  tliey  would  haul  off  and  pour  round 
after  round  of  grapeshot  into  her.  Still  the  little 
vessel  held  out.  Captain  Cassin  was  seen  coolly 
walking  the  taff'rail,  a  target  for  every  shot,  but 
he  escaped  without  a  wound,  as  if  by  a  miracle. 
At  one  time  all  the  matches  gave  out  in  the  divi- 
sion of  guns  commanded  by  midshipman  Pauld- 

202 


THOMAS  iMACDONOU(;il 

in<^.^  This  young'  oriiccr,  wliu  was  an  actint!;  lieu- 
tenant, altliougli  only  sixteen  years  old,  liad  the 
wit  and  readiness  to  fire  his  guns  by  snapping  his 
pistol  at  the  touch-hole. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  determined  valor  with 
which  the  Saratoga  and  the  Confiance  kept  up 
the  fight.  The  Linnet  presently  turned  her 
attention  to  the  Saratoga,  and  poured  one  rak- 
mg  broadside  into  her  after  another,  besides 
what  she  had  to  take  from  the  Confiance.  The 
brave  Captain  Downie  had  been  mortally  wounded 
early  in  the  engagement,  bnt  the  ship  was  still 
admirably  fought.  On  the  Saratoga  three  times 
the  cry  went  up  that  Commodore  Macdonough 
was  killed,  for  three  times  was  he  knocked 
senseless  to  the  deck ;  but  each  time  he  rose, 
none  the  worse  except  for  a  few  cuts  and 
bruises. 

The  guns  on  the  engaged  side  of  the  Sara- 
toga became  disabled  one  by  one,  by  the  long 
twenty-fours  in  the  main-deck  battery  of  the 
Confiance,  which,  though  suffering  from  the 
musketry  fire  of  the  Americans,  was  yet  doing 
magnificent  work.  At  last  but  a  single  gun  of 
the  starboard  batteries  of  the  Saratoga  remained 
serviceable,  and  in  firing  it  the  bolt  broke,  the 
gun  flew  off  the  carriage,  and  actually  tumbled 
down  the  hatchway. 

The  ship  was  afire  in  several  places,  due  to  the 

1  Afterward  Rear-Admiral  Taukliug. 
203 


TWELVE   NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

hot  shot  poured  into  her  by  the  Con  fiance,  one- 
fourth  of  her  men  were  killed,  and  she  had  not  a 
gun  available  on  her  engaged  side ;  while  both 
the  Confiance  and  the  Linnet  were  giving  her 
one  raking  broadside  after  another.  In  this 
awful  extremity  Commodore  Macdonough  deter- 
mined to  wind  his  ship,  which  means  to  turn 
the  ship  completely  around  so  that  she  could  use 
her  uninjured  batteries.  This  difficult  but  bril- 
liant manoeuvre  was  executed  with  the  utmost 
coolness,  and  soon  she  sprung  a  new  broadside 
on  the  Confiance.  The  Confiance  attempted 
the  same  manoeuvre,  but  she  only  got  partly 
round,  when  she  hung  with  her  head  to  the 
wind,  in  a  terrible  position,  where  the  fresh  bat- 
teries of  the  Saratoga  raked  her  fore  and  aft. 
No  ship  could  stand  this  long  and  live  ;  and  after 
two  hours  of  as  desperate  fighting  as  was  ever 
seen,  the  Confiance  was  forced  to  haul  down 
her  colors. 

By  that  time  the  Finch  had  been  driven  out 
of  the  fight,  and  the  Chubb  had  been  shot 
wholly  to  pieces.  The  little  Linnet,  though, 
alone  and  single-handed,  undauntedly  sustained 
the  fight,  hoping  that  some  of  the  gunboats 
might  be  able  to  tow  her  off.  But  when  the 
Saratoga  had  finished  with  the  Confiance,  with- 
out a  moment's  loss  of  time,  she  turned  her 
broadside  on  the  Linnet,  and  soon  forced  her  to 
strike,  with   her   hull   riddled   like  a  sieve,  her 

204 


THOMAS  MACDONOUGII 

masts  gone,  and  the  water  a  foot  deep  in  her 
hold.  By  midday  all  was  over,  and  of  the  six- 
teen Britisli  ensigns  that  had  fluttered  proudly  in 
the  morning  air,  not  one  remained.  It  was  one 
of  the  most  destructive  naval  engagements  ever 
fought.  In  Commodore  Macdonough's  official 
report,  he  says  there  was  not  a  mast  left  in  either 
squadron  on  which  sail  could  be  made.  Some  of 
the  British  sailors  had  been  at  Trafalgar,  and  they 
all  agreed  that  the  fighting  of  that  11th  of  Sep- 
tember had  been  moi'e  severe  than  at  Trafalgar. 

The  American  sailors  fought  with  extraordi- 
nary coolness,  and  many  amusing  as  well  as 
terrible  and  inspiring  things  occurred.  One  old 
sailor  on  the  Saratoga,  who  had  worked  and  fought 
all  during  the  battle  and  had  been  slightly  wounded 
several  times,  was  seen  mopping  his  face  de- 
lightedly while  calling  out  to  one  of  his  messmates, 
*'  Ay,  Jack,  this  is  the  best  fun  I  Ve  had  this  war." 
^  Another,  getting  a  shot  through  his  glazed  hat, 
took  it  off,  and,  turning  to  an  officer,  said  in  a 
tone  of  bitter  complaint,  "  Look  a-here,  sir ;  them 
Johnny  Bulls  has  spiled  my  hat.  Now,  what  am 
I  going  to  do  for  a  hat  ?  " 

As  soon  as  the  Linnet  struck,  the  British 
-officers,  led  by  Captain  Pring,  who  succeeded 
Captain  Downie  in  command,  came  aboard  the 
Saratoga  to  deliver  their  swords.  All  the  Ameri- 
can officers  were  assembled  on  her  quarterdeck, 
and  as  the  British  officers  approached  Commo- 

205 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

dore  Macdonough  with  their  swords  extended, 
he  said,  with  deep  feeling, — 

"  Gentlemen,  your  gallant  conduct  makes  you 
the  more  worthy  to  wear  your  swords.  Return 
them  to  their  scabbards." 

At  once  every  attention  was  given  the  wounded, 
the  officers  working  side  by  side  with  the  men. 
Captain  Pring,  in  his  report,  says  :  — 

"  I  have  much  satisfaction  in  making  you  ac- 
quainted with  the  humane  treatment  the  wounded 
have  received  from  Commodore  Macdonough. 
They  were  immediately  removed  to  his  own  hos- 
pital at  Crab  Island,  and  furnished  with  every 
requisite.  His  generous  and  polite  attention  to 
myself,  the  officers,  and  men,  will  ever  be  grate- 
fully remembered."  All  this  was  quite  character- 
istic of  Macdonough,  who  united  the  tenderness 
of  a  woman  with  a  lion-like  courage. 

The  night  of  the  battle  the  commodore  visited 
every  ship  in  the  squadron,  and  personally  ex- 
pressed to  the  officers  and  men  his  appreciation 
of  their  gallant  services  that  day. 

The  news  of  the  victory  was  received  all  over 
the  country  with  manifestations  of  joy.  Congress 
passed  the  usual  resolution  of  thanks  to  Mac- 
donough, his  officers  and  men,  gave  him  and 
his  two  commanding  officers  gold  medals,  silver 
medals  to  the  lieutenants,  and  a  handsome  sword 
to  each  of  the  midshipmen,  with  a  liberal  award 
of  prize  money  to   the  men.     Macdonough  was 

206 


THOMAS  MACDONOUGII 

made  a  post-captain,  his  commission  dating  from 
the  day  of  the  battle. 

The  State  of  Vermont  gave  him  an  estate  over- 
looking the  scene  of  his  victory,  and  many  States 
and  towns  made  him  presents.  Macdonough  bore 
all  these  honors  with  characteristic  modesty  and 
simplicity,  and,  instead  of  being  elated  by  them, 
tears  came  into  his  eyes  in  speaking  of  what  his 
country  had  bestowed  upon  him. 

Soon  after  this  peace  was  declared,  and  Mac- 
donough returned  again  to  service  on  the  ocean. 
His  health  had  always  been  delicate,  and  as  years 
passed  on,  it  grew  more  so.  But  lie  continued  to  go 
to  sea,  and  did  his  full  duty  as  always.  In  1825 
he  was  in  command  of  the  glorious  old  Consti- 
tution, as  his  flagship  on  the  Mediterranean 
station.  She  had  been  splendidly  refitted,  sailed 
admirably,  both  on  and  off  the  wind,  and,  as  the 
sailors  said,  "  looked  like  a  new  fiddle."  He 
made  his  last  cruise  in  this  noble  ship.  His 
health  rapidly  declined,  and  on  his  way  home 
from  the  Mediterranean  he  died  and  was  buried 
at  sea  on  the  10th  of  November,  1825. 

Few  men  have  enjoyed  more  national  esteem 
and  affection  than  Macdonough.  His  career 
shows  that  a  man  may  have  the  softest  manners 
and  mildest  disposition  along  with  an  invincible 
courage  and  a  high  spirit.  Macdonough  may  be 
taken  as  the  type  of  a  great  seaman  and  a  pure 
and  perfect  man. 

207 


JAMES  LAWRENCE. 

The  name  of  Lawrence,  like  that  of  Somers, 
is  associated  with  youth,  with  gallantry,  and  with 
misfortune.  It  was  his  fate,  after  many  brilliant 
and  heroic  successes,  to  lay  down  his  life  and  lose 
his  ship  ;  but  his  colors  were  hauled  down,  not  by 
himself,  but  by  the  enemy,  and  his  last  utterance, 
"  Don't  give  up  the  ship,"  which  has  become  the 
watchword  of  the  American  navy,  was  literally 
obeyed.  It  is  remarkable  that  this  unfortunate 
vessel,  the  Chesapeake,  never  was  formally  sur- 
rendered, but  was  taken  possession  of  and  her 
flag  struck  by  her  captors. 

James  Lawrence  was  born  in  Burlington,  New 
Jersey,  in  1781.  His  family  were  persons  of 
consideration  and  property,  and  Lawrence  was 
destined  to  be  a  lawyer.  He  was  a  remarkably 
handsome,  gentle,  and  docile  boy,  and  it  was  a 
surprise  to  his  family  when,  at  twelve  years  of 
age,  he  developed  a  passionate  desire  to  enter  the 
newly  created  navy.  He  never  wavered  from  this 
wish,  but,  being  a  singularly  obedient  boy,  he 
agreed  to  try  the  study  of  the  law  for  a  time,  and 
applied  himself  seriously  to  it  for  a  year  or  two. 
In  1798,  however,  when  he  was  in  his  eighteenth 

208 


AMI.S     LaWKKNCK 


JAMES   LAWRENCE 

year,  and  when  his  natural  bent  was  fully  indi- 
cated, his  inclination  toward  the  navy  became 
overpowering.  His  family  wisely  released  him 
from  the  law,  which  was  so  distasteful  to  him, 
and  got  him  a  midshipman's  warrant  in  the  navy. 

His  first  service  was  in  the  Ganges,  a  small 
twenty-four-gun  frigate.  At  the  time  of  his 
entrance  into  the  navy  he  was  of  a  noble  and 
commanding  figure,  of  captivating  manners,  and 
although  somewhat  impatient  in  temper,  at  heart 
entirely  amiable  and  generous.  From  the  begin- 
ning he  was  remarkable  for  his  kindness  and 
consideration  toward  his  inferiors.  When  it  w^as 
necessary  to  punish  the  sailors,  and  Lawrence 
had  to  superintend  the  punishment,  his  eyes 
would  fill  with  tears ;  and  when  he  became  a 
lieutenant,  his  popularity  with  the  midshipmen 
was  unbounded.  It  is  told  of  him  that  once 
the  midshipmen  in  Commodore  Rodgers's  squad- 
ron determined  to  give  the  commodore  a  dinner, 
to  which  none  of  the  lieutenants  were  to  be  in- 
vited. All  were  agreed  to  leave  out  the  lieuten- 
ants, wdien  one  of  the  midshipmen  cried,  "  What ! 
not  ask  Mr.  Lawrence  !  "  The  impossibility  of 
leaving  Lawrence  out  seemed  patent  to  all  of 
them  ;  and  to  make  the  compliment  more  marked, 
he  was  the  only  lieutenant  asked  to  meet  the 
commodore. 

Lawrence's  first  service  in  the  Ganges  was 
during  the  troubles  with   France.     The   Ganges 

14  209 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

patrolled  the  seas,  and  caught  several  French 
privateers  which  made  a  good  resistance,  but 
never  got  alongside  a  vessel  of  equal  force. 

In  1802  Lawrence  went  out  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean in  the  Enterprise,  as  first  lieutenant. 
This  gallant  little  schooner  fully  sustained  her 
reputation  in  the  operations  of  Commodore 
Morris's  squadron,  which  preceded  Commodore 
Preble's  by  a  year.  Although  the  war  had  just 
begun,  and  had  not  yet  assumed  the  fierce  and 
determined  character  of  the  following  year, 
yet  the  Bashaw  had  a  foretaste  in  1803  of  what 
was  to  befall  him  in  the  way  of  bombardments 
and  boat  attacks  in  1804.  In  one  of  the  boat 
attacks  Lawrence  volunteered,  and  his  conduct 
on  the  occasion  won  high  praise. 

The  force  was  under  the  command  of  Lieuten- 
ant David  Porter,  first  lieutenant  of  the  New 
York,  flagship,  who  had  already  distinguished 
himself  against  the  French,  and  was  destined  to 
make  one  of  the  most  daring  cruises  in  the  his- 
tory of  navies. 

The  New  York,  with  the  Adams,  frigate,  and 
the  little  Enterprise,  began  the  blockade  of 
Tripoli  in  May,  1803.  A  number  of  merchant 
vessels,  protected  by  gunboats,  ran  under  the 
batteries  of  the  old  part  of  the  town,  where  they 
were  comparatively  safe  from  ships  of  the  draught 
of  the  American  squadron.  Every  preparation 
was  made  to  defend  them,  but  Porter,  Lawrence, 

210 


JAMES   LAWRENCE 

and  other  brave  and  dariiiij;  young  spirits  deter- 
mined to  make  a  dash  for  them  and  destroy  tliem 
if  possible.  Having  got  the  commodore's  per- 
mission, an  attacking  party  was  organized  under 
Porter,  with  Lawrence  as  second  in  command, 
witli  three  other  oflicers  and  a  number  of  picked 
men.  On  the  mornino;  of  the  attack  the  boats 
advanced  boldly,  in  the  face  of  a  sharp  musketry 
fire,  and  succeeded  in  making  a  landing.  The 
Tripolitans  adopted  their  usual  style  of  hand-to- 
hand  fighting,  but  in  spite  of  it  the  vessels  were 
fired  and  the  Americans  retired  with  slight  loss. 
The  Tripolitans,  by  the  most  tremendous  efforts, 
put  out  the  fire  and  saved  their  vessels  ;  but  they 
discovered  that  the  Americans  were  disposed  to 
come  to  close  quarters  with  them,  which  policy 
finally  brought  down  the  power  of  the  Barbary 
States. 

Lawrence,  as  well  as  Porter,  was  particularly 
distino-uished  in  this  dashino;  little  affair.  The 
next  adventure  in  which  Lawrence  was  engaged 
was  a  few  weeks  after;  the  Enterprise  being 
under  the  command  of  Hull,  then  a  lieutenant 
commandant.  It  had  been  determined  to  hunt 
up  the  Tripolitan  ships  of  war  wherever  found. 
The  Enterprise  was  engaged  in  this  service, 
and  on  a  June  morning,  very  early,  the  lookouts 
from  the  Adams,  frigate,  observed  a  signal  flying 
from  the  Enterprise  of  "  Enemy  in  sight."  A 
Tripolitan    frigate,  supported  by  nine  gunboats, 

•2l\ 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

trying  to  get  to  sea  from  Tripoli,  had  been  penned 
up  in  a  narrow  bay  by  the  Enterprise,  which, 
too  weak  to  attack,  signalled  for  her  more  pow- 
erful consort  to  come  to  her  assistance.  The 
Adams  responded  promptly,  the  Enterprise  mean- 
while maintaining  her  station  with  as  much  dar- 
ing as  if  she  were  a  forty-four-gun  frigate  instead 
of  a  twelve-gun  schooner.  As  soon  as  the  wind 
permitted  the  Adams  to  get  within  range,  she 
opened  with  terrible  effect  upon  the  corsair, 
which  replied  vigorously,  and  did  not  strike  until 
she  had  received  the  fire  of  the  Adams,  in  smooth 
water  and  at  short  range,  for  three  quarters  of  an 
hour.  Soon  after  her  colors  were  hauled  down, 
fire  reached  her  magazine,  and  she  blew  up. 

It  was  Lawrence's  extreme  good  fortune,  after 
serving  under  such  a  captain  as  Isaac  Hull, 
to  serve  next  under  Decatur.  The  Argus,  one 
of  the  four  handsome  little  vessels  built  for  the 
war  with  Tripoli,  had  been  sent  out  under  Decatur, 
who  was  to  exchange  her  for  the  Enterprise,  Hull's 
superior  rank  entitling  him  to  the  larger  vessel. 
Yet  it  is  remarkable  that  the  little  Enterprise, 
although  distinctly  inferior  to  the  other  four  small 
vessels,  survived  every  one  of  them,  and  had  an 
unbroken  career  of  success  both  in  running  and 
fighting. 

As  soon  as  Decatur  took  the  Enterprise,  and 
had  got  a  good  look  at  Tripoli  on  the  reconnoi- 
tring expedition  made  by  Commodore  Preble  in 

212 


JAMES   LAWRENCE 

the  early  winter  of  1803,  Ww  idea  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Pliihidel{)hia  and  llie  release  of  Baiu- 
bridge  and  his  companions  possessed  his  mind. 
It  may  be  imagined  that  Lawrence  ardently  sym- 
pathized with  him,  and  in  his  young  first  lieuten- 
ant Decatur  recognized  a  daring  and  steadfast 
spirit  akin  to  his  own.  It  was  Decatur's  habit,  in 
speaking  of  Lawrence,  to  say,  "  He  has  no  more 
dodge  in  him  than  the  mainmast,"  which  was 
true. 

In  the  same  month  of  December  the  Enter- 
prise eai)turcd  the  ketch  Meshouda,  which,  re- 
named the  Intrepid,  was  to  take  part  in  one  of 
the  most  plorious  successes,  and  afterward  in 
one  of  the  most  heart-breaking  tragedies,  of  the 
American  navy. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  ketch,  and  in  work- 
ing out  the  details  of  his  plan,  Decatur  was  ably 
seconded  by  his  first  lieutenant.  The  expedition 
for  the  destruction  of  the  Philadelphia  was  ex- 
actly suited  to  a  man  of  Lawrence's  vigorous  and 
imaginative  temperament. 

If  a  precise  record  remained  of  that  immortal 
expedition,  —  the  six  days  of  storm  and  tempest, 
in  which  the  ketch,  ill  ventilated  and  crowded  with 
men  who  were  wet  to  the  skin  most  of  the  time 
and  half  starved  because  their  provisions  were 
spoiled  by  salt  water,  was  blown  about  the  African 
coast,  —  how  surpassingly  interesting  it  would  be  ! 
It  is  known,  however,  that  both  oflicers  and  men 

213 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

not  only  kept  up  their  determination,  but  their 
gayety.  On  that  February  evening  when  the 
ketch  stole  in  and  made  fast  to  the  Philadel- 
phia to  destroy  her,  Lawrence,  next  to  Decatur, 
bore  the  most  active  part.  It  was  he  who  com- 
manded the  boat  that  put  out  from  the  ketch 
and  coolly  fastened  a  hawser  to  the  forechains 
of  the  doomed  frigate ;  and  it  was  he  who  in- 
tercepted the  frigate's  boat  and  took  the  fast 
from  it  and  passed  another  line  from  the  Phila- 
delphia's stern  into  the  ketch.  When  Decatur 
shouted,  "  Board  !  "  Lawrence  was  among  the  first 
to  land  on  the  quarterdeck,  and  as  soon  as  that 
was  cleared,  he  dashed  below,  accompanied  by 
two  midshipmen,  as  intrepid  as  himself,  —  Mr. 
Laws  and  the  indomitable  Macdonough,  —  with 
ten  men,  and  fired  the  berth-deck  and  all  the 
forward  storerooms.  Nothing  is  more  extraor- 
dinary than  the  quickness  and  precision  with 
which  every  order  was  carried  out  on  that  night 
of  glory.  Lawrence  and  his  party  were  in  the 
ship  less  than  twenty-five  minutes,  yet  they  were 
the  last  to  drop  into  the  ketch.^  On  their  return 
after  this  celebrated  adventure,  Lawrence  received 
his  due  share  of  praise. 

There  was  much  hard  work  to  be  done  by  every 
officer  in  the  squadron  before  it  was  ready  to 
attack  Tripoli  in  August,  1804,  and  Lawrence,  as 
first  lieutenant,  did  his  part.    Once  before  Tripoli, 

1  See  the  biograpliy  of  Decatur, 
214 


JAMES  LAWRE^X'E 

there  was  severe  lighting  as  well  iis  hard  work. 
The  fact  that  Decatur  was  taken  out  of  his  ship 
so  often  to  lead  a  division  of  the  boats,  left  the 
command  of  the  Enterprise  much  to  Lawrence, 
and  he  handled  the  little  schooner  in  the  most 
seamanlike  manner. 

In  the  winter  of  1804-5  the  government  deter- 
mined to  build  a  number  of  small  gunboats,  to 
renew  the  attacks  on  Tripoli  in  the  summer. 
Some  of  the  lieutenants  who  had  returned  to 
the  United  States  in  the  changes  necessary  in  the 
squadron,  were  selected  to  take  them  out  to  the 
Mediterranean.  Lawrence,  who  had  come  back 
to  the  United  States  after  spending  two  years  in 
the  Mediterranean,  was  given  the  command  of 
one  of  these  little  vessels.  Number  Six,  —  for  they 
were  thought  to  be  too  insignificant  to  name  and 
consequently  were  merely  numbered.  They  car- 
ried a  large  spread  of  canvas,  but  their  gunwales 
were  so  near  the  water  that  they  looked  rather 
like  rafts  than  boats.  On  the  way  over, 
Lawrence  was  sighted  by  the  British  frigate 
Lapwing,  wh/jli  sent  a  boat  to  rescue  them,  sup- 
posing them  to  be  on  a  raft  after  a  shipwreck. 
Lawrence  thanked  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
boat,  but  proceeded  on  his  way. 

Commodore  Rodgers  was  then  in  command  of 
the  American  force  which  again  appeared  before 
Tripoli  in  May,  1805;  and  without  firing  a  gun 
a  treaty  of  peace  and  the  release  of  the  Phila- 

215 


TWELVE   XAVAL   CAPTAINS 

delphia's  officers  and  men  were  secured.  The 
squadron  then  sailed  for  Tunis,  where  it  intim- 
idated the  Tunisians  into  good  behavior  and 
negotiated  a  treaty  of  peace  under  the  threat  of 
a  bombardment. 

Soon  after  most  of  the  vessels  returned  home. 
Lawrence  recrossed  the  ocean  again  in  his  gun- 
boat, and  commanded  her  for  some  time  after. 

On  the  22d  of  June,  1807,  occurred  the  pain- 
ful and  mortifying  rencounter  of  the  Chesa- 
peake, frigate,  with  the  British  frigate  Leopard, 
one  of  the  most  far-reaching  events  in  the 
American  navy.  As  the  name  of  Lawrence  will 
ever  be  connected  with  the  unfortunate  Chesa- 
peake, the  story  of  that  unhappy  event  can  be 
told  here. 

The  Chesapeake  was  a  comparatively  new 
ship,  carrying  thirty-eight  guns,  and  was  put 
in  commission  to  relieve  the  Constitution  in  the 
Mediterranean.  She  seems  to  have  been  an 
unpopular  ship  from  the  first,  as  she  was  thought 
to  be  weak  for  her  size,  and  was  a  very  ordinary 
sailer.  She  was  to  wear  the  broad  pennant  of 
Commodore  James  Barron,  who  had  Captain 
Gordon  as  his  flag  captain.  Both  of  these  men 
were  esteemed  excellent  officers. 

The  Chesapeake  was  fitted  partly  at  the 
Washington  Navy  Yard  and  partly  at  the  Norfolk 
Navy  Yard.  There  had  been  a  charge  that  she 
had  among  her  crew  three  deserters   from   the 

216 


JAMES   LAWRENCE 

British  frigate  Mclaiupus.  The  charge  hud  been 
investigated,  however,  and  found  to  he  a  mis- 
take. It  was  known  that  the  Leoi)ard,  of  fifty 
guns,  was  hanging  al)Out  outside  the  capes  of 
Virginia,  but  it  was  not  suspected  that  she  would 
attempt  to  stop  the  Chesapeake.  The  British 
government,  arrogant  in  its  dominion  over  the 
sea,  had  chiimed  and  exercised  the  right  of 
searching  merchant  vessels;  and  the  United 
States,  a  young  nation,  with  a  central  govern- 
ment which  was  still  an  experiment  as  well 
as  an  object  of  jealousy  to  the  State  govern- 
ments, had  submitted  from  not  knowing  exactly 
how  to  resist.  But  with  a  ship  of  war  it  was 
different,  and  neither  the  authorities  nor  the 
people  of  the  United  States  dreamed  that  any 
attempt  would  be  made  to  violate  the  deck  of  a 
national  vessel. 

There  seems  to  have  been  great  negligence  in 
preparing  the  Chesapeake  for  sea,  and  when  she 
sailed  she  was  in  a  state  of  confusion,  her  decks 
littered  up,  and  none  of  the  apparatus  used  in 
those  days  for  firing  great  guns  was  available. 
Neither  was  her  crew  drilled,  having  been  at 
quarters  only  three  times.  Her  officers  were 
men  of  spirit,  but  there  seems  to  have  been  a 
fatal  laxness  in  getting  her  ready  for   sea. 

The  Chesapeake,  with  a  good  w^ind,  dropped 
down  to  Hampton  Roads,  and  was  soon  stretch- 
ing out  to  sea.     About    noon  the  Leopard  was 

217 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

discerned,  and  from  the  first  seemed  to  be  fol- 
lowing the  Chesapeake.  At  three  o'clock  the 
two,  still  making  for  the  open  ocean,  were  near 
enough  to  speak,  and  the  Leopard  hailed,  saving 
she  had  despatches  for  Commodore  Barron. 
This  was  not  remarkable,  as  such  courtesies 
were  occasionally  exchanged  between  ships  of 
friendly  nations.  The  Chesapeake  hove  to,  as 
did  the  Leopard,  close  to  each  other,  when  the 
Chesapeake's  officers  noticed  that  the  British 
frigate  had  her  guns  run  out,  and  was  evidently 
perfectly  ready  for  action.  Very  soon  a  boat 
put  off  from  her,  and  a  lieutenant  came  aboard 
the  Chesapeake.  He  went  below  into  the  great 
cabin,  and  handed  Commodore  Barron  a  letter 
from  Yice-Admiral  Berkley,  dated  at  Halifax, 
directing  him  on  meeting  the  Chesapeake  to 
search  her  for  the  three  alleged  deserters,  and 
offering  to  allow  the  Leopard  to  be  searched  if 
desired. 

Commodore  Barron  was  a  brave  man  and  a 
good  officer  in  general,  but  he  appears  to  have 
been  seized  with  one  of  those  moments  of  inde- 
cision which  in  a  few  minutes  can  wreck  a 
whole  life.  It  is  difficult,  though,  to  imagine 
how  one  could  act  judiciously  in  an  emergency 
so  terrible,  when  the  choice  lies  between  sub- 
mitting to  a  frightful  insult  and  provoking  a 
conflict  which  must  result  in  the  loss  of  many 
gallant  and  innocent  men.    The  commodore's  real 

218 


JAMES   LAWRENCE 

fault  was  in  going  to  sea  in  an  unprc[)ared 
condition. 

Conunodorc  Barron  took  about  half  an  hour  to 
deliberate  before  sending  a  reply;  and  as  soon 
as  the  British  boat  put  off,  orders  were  given  to 
clear  the  ship  for  action  and  get  the  people  to 
quarters,  and  Commodore  Barron  himself  went 
on  deck.  While  this  was  being  done,  the 
Leopard  hailed,  and  fired  a  gun  toward  the 
Chesapeake,  followed  by  a  whole  broadside,  and 
for  al)out  twelve  minutes  she  poured  her  fire 
into  the  helpless  Chesapeake.  Commodore  Bar- 
ron, a  marine  officer,  and  sixteen  men  were 
wounded,  and  three  men  were  killed.  Commo- 
dore Barron  repeatedly  ordered  a  shot  to  be  fired 
before  the  ensign  was  lowered,  but  there  were 
no  means  at  hand  for  igniting  the  powder.  At 
last  a  young  lieutenant  named  Allen  ran  to  the 
galley,  and,  taking  a  live  coal  in  his  fingers, 
rushed  back  to  the  gun-deck  and  succeeded  in 
firing  one  of  the  guns  in  his  division.  At  that 
moment  the  American  ensign  touched  the 
taffrail. 

The  Leopard  then  sent  a  boat  and  took  pos- 
session of  the  three  alleged  deserters,  and  made 
off,  while  the  disgraced  Chesapeake  returned 
to  Norfolk. 

It  is  not  easy  to  describe  the  outburst  of 
indignation  which  followed  this  mortifying 
event.       Commodore     Barron     was     court-mar- 

219 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

tialled,  but  as  it  was  proved  that  his  mistake 
was  one  of  judgment,  and  that  he  conducted 
himself  well  after  the  danger  became  imminent, 
he  was  merely  sentenced  to  five  years'  suspen- 
sion from  the  navy. 

The  British  government  disavowed  the  action 
of  Captain  Humphries  of  the  Leopard,  although 
it  did  not  punish  him ;  but  Vice-Admiral  Berkley 
was  never  again  employed  in  the  British  navy.  It 
also  restored  the  three  men  it  had  taken  from  the 
Chesapeake  to  the  deck  of  the  American  frigate. 

After  this  affair  it  began  to  be  plain  that  the 
United  States  must  either  boldly  repulse  the 
efforts  of  Great  Britain  in  her  claims  to  right  of 
search,  or  else  tamely  submit.  The  latter  was 
not  to  be  thought  of.  The  war  of  1812  was 
fought  for  the  principle  of  protecting  sailors  in 
American  ships,  and  for  the  right  to  carry  goods 
in  free  bottoms;  hence  its  motto  was:  "Free 
trade  and  sailors'  rights." 

These  were  agitating  times  for  the  navy,  as 
officers  of  intelligence  realized  that  war  was 
coming  and  it  would  be  chiefly  a  naval  war ;  and 
they  therefore  strove  diligently  to  perfect  them- 
selves in  their  profession,  so  that  when  they 
came  in  conflict  with  the  seasoned  sailors  of 
England  the  American  navy  might  give  a  good 
account  of  itself. 

Lawrence  was  among  the  most  earnest  and 
ambitious     of    these    young     officers,    and     he 

220 


JAMES   LAWRENCE 

acquitted  himself  so  well  in  those  intervening,^ 
years  that  it  was  i)lain  he  would  do  well  in 
whatever  situation  he  was  placed. 

In  1808  he  was  made  first  lieutenant  of  the 
Constitution,  and  that  was  the  last  subordinate 
place  he  held.  In  1809  he  got  the  Vixen,  which 
ho  exchanged  for  the  Wasp,  and  finally  the 
Argus.  In  1811  he  got  the  Hornet,  a  fast  and 
beautiful  little  cruiser,  carrying  eighteen  guns, 
and  was  in  command  of  her  when  the  long- 
expected  declaration  of  war  came  in  1812. 

The  Hornet  and  the  Essex,  under  Captain 
Porter,  were  ordered  to  cruise  with  Captain 
Bainbridge  in  the  Constitution.  But  after  get- 
ting out  from  Boston  in  October,  1812,  and  cruis- 
ing a  few  weeks  with  the  Constitution,  they 
separated.  The  Hornet,  being  off  San  Salva- 
dor, challenged  the  Bonne  Citoyenne,  a  vessel 
of  about  her  own  strength,  to  come  out  and  fight. 
As  the  Bonne  Citoyenne  had  a  large  amount  of 
specie  on  board  which  her  captain  was  under 
orders  to  deliver,  he  very  properly  declined  to 
fight,  and  was  blockaded  by  the  Hornet  for 
nearly  three  weeks.  The  Montagu,  ship  of  the 
line,  appearing  however,  Captain  Lawrence 
thought  it  time  to  be  off,  and  managed  to  slip 
out  to  sea  in  the  darkness  of  an  autumn  night. 
He  cruised  some  time,  taking  a  few  prizes, 
and  on  the  24th  of  February  came  in  sight  of 
a  large  man-of-war  brig,  the  Peacock.     She  was 

221 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

called  "the  yacht"  from  the  beautiful  bright- 
ness and  order  in  which  she  was  kept,  and 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Peake,  a  gallant 
and  skilful  officer.  The  Peacock  showed  a  per- 
fect willingness  to  fight,  and  the  two  vessels 
stood  for  each  other  at  once.  About  five 
o'clock,  being  very  near  each  other,  their  en- 
signs were  hoisted,  and  the  battle  began  by 
exchanging  broadsides  as  they  passed.  After 
one  or  two  rounds  the  Hornet  came  down,  her 
batteries  a  sheet  of  flame,  and  her  fire  fright- 
fully destructive  to  her  adversary.  The  Pea- 
cock stood  the  blast  of  fire  a  very  short  time, 
fifteen  minutes  being  the  longest  time  esti- 
mated, —  Lawrence  afterward  said  it  was  eleven 
minutes  by  his  watch,  but,  his  clerk  having  put 
it  down  fifteen  minutes,  he  allowed  it  to  stand, 
—  when  the  Peacock  lowered  her  colors  and 
displayed  signals  of  distress  in  her  forerigging. 
She  was  in  a  sinking  condition,  w^hen  a  prize 
crew  was  thrown  aboard ;  and  in  spite  of  every 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  Hornet,  the  Peacock  went  down,  carrying 
nine  of  her  own  people  and  three  of  the 
Hornet's.  The  prize-master  of  the  Hornet  and 
his  boat's  crew  saved  themselves  with  difficulty 
in  the  launch. 

The  Peacock  w^as  well  handled  and  fought  by 
her  commander,  w^ho  lost  his  life  in  the  engage- 
ment.    But  the  Hornet  w^as  so  skilfully  manoeu- 

222 


JAMES   LAWRENCE 

vrcd,  and  lici*  giiniiorv,  ])csidcs  being  cxtronicdy 
accurate,  was  so  rapid,  that  she  had  the  advan- 
tage from  a  few  minutes  after  the  beginning  of 
the  combat.  Slie  was  slightly  superior  to  the 
Peacock  both  iu  men  and  metal,  but  the  damage 
she  did  was  far  beyond  the  small  difference  of 
strength  between  her  and  her  antagonist.  When 
the  Peacock  surrendered,  her  mainmast  had  gone 
by  the  board,  her  hull  was  riddled,  and  she  had 
six  feet  of  water  in  her,  which  soon  carried  her 
to  the  bottom;  while,  by  nine  o'clock  that  night, 
every  injury  to  the  Hornet  had  been  repaired, 
and  she  was  ready  to  go  into  action  again. 

Lawrence  treated  his  prisoners  with  charac- 
teristic generosity,  and  his  example  was  not  lost 
on  his  men.  The  Peacock's  crew  had  lost 
everything  by  the  sinking  of  the  ship,  and  the 
Hornet's  men  took  up  a  subscription  among 
themselves  to  provide  each  of  the  prisoners  with 
two  shirts,  a  blue  jacket,  and  trousers. 

Finding  himself  crowded  with  prisoners, 
Lawrence  stood  for  home,  and  arrived  at  New 
York  late  in  March,  1813.  The  officers  of  the 
Peacock,  on  being  paroled  at  New  York,  ad- 
dressed him  a  very  handsome  letter  of  thanks, 
in  which  they  said,  "  We  cannot  better  express 
our  feelings  than  by  saying  that  we  ceased  to 
consider  ourselves  prisoners." 

The  city  of  New  York,  anticipatimi-  the 
thanks    of   Congress,    and   the   gold   medal   for 

223 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

Lawrence,  with  prize  money  for  the  crew,  gave 
Lawrence  the  freedom  of  the  city  and  a  hand- 
some piece  of  plate.  On  the  6th  of  April  a 
great  dinner  was  given  at  Washington  Hall, 
then  a  splendid  place  of  entertainment  in  New 
York,  to  Lawrence  and  his  officers,  while  in  the 
ball-room  of  the  building  the  petty  officers, 
sailors,  and  marines  of  the  Hornet  were  enter- 
tained. The  sailors  landed  at  Whitehall,  and 
with  music  playing,  marched  up  Pearl  Street, 
Wall  Street,  and  Broadway  to  Washington  Hall 
amidst  the  greatest  enthusiasm  on  the  part  of 
the  inhabitants.  After  a  fine  dinner  Captain 
Lawrence  and  his  officers,  accompanied  by  the 
members  of  the  city  government  of  New  York, 
visited  them,  and  the  party  was  received  by  the 
sailors  rising  and  giving  three  times  three  for 
their  commander.  The  whole  body  of  sailors 
was  afterward  invited  to  occupy  the  pit  at  the 
theatre,  with  Lawrence  and  his  officers  and  their 
hosts  in  the  boxes.  The  audience  cheered  the 
sailors  vociferously,  and  the  sailors  seem  to 
have  cheered  everything;  and  they  were  highly 
pleased  with  their   entertainment. 

This  was  the  last  glimpse  of  brightness  in 
Lawrence's  short  life.  He  had  a  prospect  of 
getting  the  Constitution,  but  his  hopes  were 
dashed  by  being  ordered  to  command  the  Ches- 
apeake, then  fitting  at  Boston. 

The  ship  had  become  more  and  more  an  object 

224 


JAMES  lawkencp: 

of  dislike  in  the  navy  since  her  unfortunate 
experience  in  1807.  Sailors  hated  her,  and 
would  not  enlist  in  her  if  they  could  help  it. 
No  orticer  would  serve  in  her  if  he  could  get 
any  other  ship;  consequently  she  was  oflieercd 
by  juniors  who  had  to  take  her  because  they 
could  do  no  better.  She  had  lately  returned 
from  a  cruise  in  which  she  had  sailed  many 
thousands  of  miles,  under  an  active  and  enter- 
prising captain,  without  once  meeting  a  chance 
to  distinguish  herself,  and  capturing  only  a  few 
trifling  prizes.  Lawrence  was  dismayed  at  the 
offer  of  this  command.  He  begged  to  remain 
in  the  Hornet  rather  than  go  to  the  Chesa- 
peake. He  told  his  friends  that  the  frigate 
was  a  worthless  ship,  and  he  would  not  have 
her  if  he  could  honorably  refuse;  but  this  he 
could  not  do.  In  May,  1813,  he  took  command 
of  her.  Up  to  the  last  moment  he  hoped  to  be 
relieved  by  Captain  Stewart,  but  it  was  not 
to  be. 

He  found  the  ship  short  of  officers,  and  those 
he  had  very  young.  His  first  lieutenant,  Augus- 
tus Ludlow,  was  a  brilliant  young  officer,  but 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  who  had  never  served 
before  as  first  lieutenant  in  a  frigate.  His 
other  sea  lieutenants  were  midshipmen  acting 
as  lieutenants.  His  crew  was  largely  made 
up  of  foreigners;  and  one,  a  Portuguese  boat- 
swain's mate,  was  doing  what  he  could  to  spread 

15  225 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

dissatisfaction  among  the  men  because  they  had 
not  been  paid  the  small  amomit  of  prize  money 
due  from  the  last  cruise.  The  marine  guard 
was  made  up  wholly  of  Americans,  and  there 
were  a  few  men  from  the  Constitution.  These 
men  afterward  gave  a  good  account  of  them- 
selves. 

Outside  the  harbor  of  Boston  it  was  known 
that  the  Shannon,  a  fine  thirty-eight-gun  frigate, 
lay  in  wait  for  the  Chesapeake.  Her  commander, 
Captain  Philip  Broke,  was  one  of  the  best  offi- 
cers in  the  British  navy,  and  had  had  the  ship 
seven  years.  He  had  not  followed  the  example 
of  so  many  British  captains  who  neglected  gun- 
nery practice  with  their  crews,  and  paid  dearly 
for  their  rashness  with  their  ships  and  some- 
times with  their  lives.  Captain  Broke  was  a 
chivalrous  man,  and,  desiring  to  engage  the 
Chesapeake  on  equal  terms,  wrote  Captain  Law- 
rence a  letter,  proposing  a  meeting  any  time 
within  two  months  in  any  latitude  and  longi- 
tude he  might  choose.  Unfortunately,  this  let- 
ter never  reached  Lawrence.  On  the  first  day 
of  June,  1813,  the  Shannon  stood  in  toward 
President's  Roads,  expecting  an  answer  from 
Lawrence  to  Captain  Broke's  challenge.  Law- 
rence, however,  took  the  Shannon's  appear- 
ance as  a  challenge,  and,  lifting  his  anchor, 
made  sail  to  meet  her. 

As    soon    as    the   anchor   was   up,    Lawrence 

226 


JAMES  LAWRENCE 

liad  a  flag  lioisted  witli  the  inscription  "Free 
trade  and  sailors'  rights."  He  then  made  a 
short  address  to  his  men,  wliieli  was  coldly 
received,  not  a  cheer  being  raised  at  the  prospect 
of  meeting  the  enemy. 

The  ship  was  cleared  for  action,  and  as  she 
passed  out,  the  Shannon  was  waiting  for  her  on 
an  easy  bowline.  Both  ships  proceeded  under 
a  good  breeze  until  about  thirty  miles  beyond 
Boston  Light.  They  then  came  together  under 
short  fighting  canvas,  and  in  the  manoeuvring 
for  a  few  moments  Lawrence  was  in  position  to 
rake  his  enemy ;  but  whether  it  escaped  him,  or 
he  preferred  to  fight  it  out  alongside,  is  not 
known. 

A  few  minutes  before  six,  the  ships  being 
fairly  alongside,  and  not  more  than  fifty  yards 
apart,  the  Shannon  fired  her  first  broadside,  and 
was  immediately  answered  by  the  Chesapeake. 
The  effect  of  these  first  broadsides  in  smooth 
water  and  close  range  was  terrific.  Three  men 
at  the  Chesapeake's  wheel  were  shot  down  one 
after  another.  Within  six  minutes  her  sails 
were  so  shot  to  pieces  that  she  came  up  into 
the  wind  and  was  raked  repeatedly.  In  a  short 
while  Captain  Lawrence  was  shot  in  the  leg, 
but  kept  the  deck.  Mr.  White,  the  sailing- 
master,  was  killed,  and  Mr.  Ludlow,  the  first 
lieutenant,  Lieutenant  Ballard,  Mr.  Brown,  the 
marine  officer,  and  the  boatswain  were  all  mor- 

227 


TWELVE   NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

tally  wounded.  The  Shannon  had  not  escaped 
scatheless,  although  the  execution  aboard  of  her 
was  not  to  be  mentioned  with  the  Chesapeake's. 
Some  of  the  British  frigate's  spars  and  sails 
being  shot  away,  she  fell  aboard  her  antagonist, 
and  the  two  ships  were  prevented  from  drifting 
apart  by  the  fluke  of  an  anchor  on  the  Shannon 
hooking  in  the  Chesapeake's  rigging.  Captain 
Broke  immediately  ordered  the  ships  lashed  to- 
gether. This  was  done  by  the  Shannon's  boat- 
swain, who  had  his  arm  literally  hacked  off  in 
doing  it,  but  who  did  not  flinch  from  his 
task. 

As  soon  as  Captain  Lawrence  saw  the  ships 
were  fast,  he  ordered  the  boarders  called  away. 
But  instead  of  this  being  done  by  the  boatswain, 
the  bugler,  a  negro,  was  called  upon  to  sound  his 
bugle.  The  man,  in  a  paroxysm  of  terror,  had 
hid  under  a  boat,  and  when  found  was  perfectly 
unable  to  sound  a  note.  The  remaining  officers 
on  the  Chesapeake's  deck  shouted  for  the 
boarders,  and  at  this  moment  the  gallant 
Lawrence,  conspicuous  from  his  commanding 
figure,  and  wearing  his  full  uniform,  fell,  shot 
through  the  body.  As  he  was  being  carried 
below,  he  uttered  those  words  which  are  a  part 
of  the  heritage  of  the  American  navy,  "Don't 
give  up  the  ship." 

The  carnage  on  the  Chesapeake's  deck  was 
now  frightful,  and  the  men  began  to  flinch  from 

228 


JAMES  LAWRENCE 

their  o-iins.  Cai)tiiiii  Broke,  seeing  this,  gave 
the  Older  to  board,  and,  himself  leading  the 
boarders  with  great  intrepidity,  s})rang  upon 
the  Chesapeake's  quarterdeck.  At  this  the  Por- 
tuguese mate  and  some  other  mercenaries  threw 
the  berth-deck  gratings  overboard,  and  ran  be- 
low, crying,  "  So  much  for  not  paying  men  prize 
money ! " 

A  young  lieutenant,  coming  up  from  the  gun- 
deck,  was  seized  with  a  panic,  and,  throwing  his 
pistol  down,  ran  Ijelow  in  a  cowardly  manner.^ 
But  there  were  still  gallant  souls  left  upon  the 
unfortunate  frigate's  deck.  Mr.  Livermore,  the 
chaplain, —  the  only  officer  on  deck  when  the  Brit- 
ish entered  the  ship,  —  advanced  boldly,  firing  his 
pistol  at  Captain  Broke,  and  made  a  brave  defence, 
although  his  arm  was  nearly  cut  from  his  body  by 
Broke  in  defendins:  himself.  The  few  marines  who 
were  left  fought  desperately,  and  severely  wounded 
Captain  Broke.  All  of  these  men  were  Ameri- 
cans, and  were  cut  down  to  a  man.  The  officers 
of  the  gun-deck  tried  to  rally  the  men  below,  and 
succeeded  in  inducing  the  few  Americans  to 
follow  them  above  ;  the  brave  Ludlow,  in  fearful 
agony  from  his  wounds,  struggled  up  the  hatch- 
way. But  it  was  too  late,  and  they  were  soon  over- 
powered. The  flag  had  been  hauled  down  by  the 
triumi)hant  enemy  ;    the    ship   was  theirs.     The 

1  He  was  promptly  dismissed  the  uavy  for  cowardice  on  this 
occasion. 

229 


TWELVE  NAVAL  CAPTAINS 

battle  lasted  only  about  fifteen  minutes,  and 
seldom  in  the  history  of  naval  warfare  has  there 
been  more  dreadful  slaughter.  The  Chesapeake 
suffered  most,  her  captain  and  three  lieutenants, 
her  marine  officer,  her  sailing-master,  boatswain, 
and  three  midshipmen  being  killed,  and  her  few  re- 
maining officers  wounded.  She  lost,  besides,  one 
hundred  and  thirty-six  men  killed  and  wounded. 
The  Shannon  had  her  captain  badly  wounded, 
and  lost  several  officers,  and  had  seventy-five  men 
killed  and  wounded. 

The  English  ensign  was  immediately  hoisted 
over  the  American,  and  as  soon  as  possible  sail 
was  made  for  Halifax.  Lawrence  and  his  wounded 
officers  lay  together  in  the  ward  room  of  the  Chesa- 
peake, the  cabin  having  been  much  shattered.  For 
four  days  Lawrence  lingered  in  extreme  anguish. 
He  bore  his  sufferings  with  silent  heroism,  and  it 
is  remarkable  that  he  never  spoke  except  to  make 
known  the  few  wants  that  his  situation  required. 
On  the  Shannon  Captain  Broke  lay,  raving  with 
delirium  from  his  wounds,  and  only  occasionally 
rational.  At  these  times  he  would  ask  anxiously 
after  Lawrence,  muttering,  "  He  brought  his  ship 
into  action  in  gallant  style,"  and  other  words  of 
generous  admiration.  When  it  was  known  that 
Lawrence  was  no  more,  it  was  thought  best  to 
keep  it  from  Broke,  as  it  was  known  it  would 
distress  him  greatly. 

On  Sunday,  the  6th  of  June,   the   two   ships 

230 


,IA.Mi:s   LAWRENCE 

entered  Halifax  liarl^or,  the  body  of  Lawrence 
wrapi)cd  in  (lie  battle  flag  of  the  Chesapeake,  and 
lyin<>-  on  her  quarterdeck.  The  i)CO])le  took  the 
Chesapeake  for  the  President,  and  shouting  multi- 
tudes lined  the  shores  and  docks.  But  wlicn  it 
was  known  that  it  was  Lawrence's  ship,  and  her 
brave  commander  lay  dead  upon  her,  an  instant 
silence  fell  upon  the  people.  They  remembered 
Lawrence's  kindness  to  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  Peacock,  and  they  paid  him  the  tribute  of 
silent  respect. 

The  funeral  was  arranged  for  the  8th  of  June, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  affecting  ever  wit- 
nessed. The  British  naval  and  military  authori- 
ties omitted  nothing  that  could  show  their  esteem 
for  a  brave  and  unfortunate  enemy.  The  gar- 
rison and  the  fleet  turned  out  their  whole  force, 
the  officers  wearing  crape  upon  the  left  arm. 
The  coffin,  wrapped  in  the  Chesapeake's  flag, 
with  the  dead  officer's  sword  upon  it,  was  brought 
ashore  in  an  admiral's  barge,  the  men  rowing 
minute  strokes,  and  amid  the  solemn  booming  of 
minute  guns.  It  was  followed  by  a  long  proces- 
sion of  man-of-war  boats.  It  was  landed  at 
King's  Wharf,  where  six  of  the  oldest  British 
captains  acted  as  pall-bearers.  The  procession 
to  the  churchyard  of  St.  Paul's  was  very  long. 
The  American  officers  were  chief  mourners,  fol- 
lowed by  (lie  officers  of  the  Shannon  ;  and  the 
presence  of  the  wounded  among  both  the  Ameri- 

231 


TWELVE  NAVAL   CAPTAINS 

can  and  English  officers  was  touching  in  the 
extreme.  Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Saumerez,  one 
of  Nelson's  captains,  and  the  officers  of  the  fleet, 
and  the  general  of  the  forces,  with  the  officers  of 
the  garrison,  came  next  in  the  procession,  fol- 
lowed by  a  large  number  of  the  most  respectable 
citizens  of  Halifax.  The  route  was  lined  with 
troops,  and  tlie  funeral  was  like  that  of  a  great 
and  distinguished  British  admiral,  —  so  great  is 
the  respect  all  generous  minds  must  feel  for  a 
character  like  Lawrence's. 

His  young  first  lieutenant,  Ludlow,  survived 
several  days  after  landing ;  but  he,  too,  soon  fol- 
lowed his  captain  to  a  hero's  grave.  Great  honors 
were  also  paid  him  at  his  interment. 

The  Americans,  however,  could  not  allow  the 
British  to  pay  all  the  honors  to  the  dead  Law- 
rence, and  in  August  his  remains  and  those  of 
his  faithful  lieutenant  were  transferred  to  Salem, 
in  Massachusetts,  where  they  were  temporarily 
buried  until  they  could  be  transferred  to  New 
York.  Lawrence's  pall  was  carried  then  by  six 
American  captains,  among  whom  were  Hull, 
Stewart,  and  Bainbridge,  —  all  men  who  had 
known  Lawrence,  and  served  with  him  when  he 
was  a  dashing  and  brilliant  young  midshipman. 
Eventually,  both  Lawrence  and  Ludlow  were 
buried  in  Trinity  churchyard,  New  York,  where 
they  still  rest.  Lawrence  left  a  young  wife  and 
two  children,  for  whom  the  country  provided. 

232 


JAMES   LAWRKXCE 

A  poignant  regret  for  Lawrence's  misfortunes 
and  deatli  was  felt  by  the  country  generally. 
His  youUi,  —  he  was  but  thirty-one  years  of  age, 
—  his  brilliant  career,  the  charming  generosity 
of  his  nature,  and  tlie  graces  of  his  person  and 
manner  made  him  beloved  and  admired.  His 
fault  —  if  fault  it  was  —  in  seeking  an  action 
when  his  ship  was  new  to  him  and  ill  manned 
and  scantily  officered,  was  that  of  a  high  and 
daring  spirit,  and  was  readily  condoned  ;  while 
to  this  day  the  story  of  the  Chesapeake  is  painful 
to  a  true  American. 

At  the  battle  of  Lake  Erie  Perry's  flagship 
bore  the  name  of  Lawrence  ;  but,  like  Lawrence 
himself,  was  unfortunate,  and,  after  being  cut  to 
pieces,  was  forced  to  strike.  Another  vessel  was 
named  the  Lawrence ;  but  ships  whose  names 
are  associated  with  harrowing  events  are  not 
favorites  with  either  officers  or  men,  and  she 
was  borne  upon  the  navy  list  for  only  a  few  years. 
But  the  name  and  fame  of  Law^rence  will  last 
with  his  countrymen  as  long  as  the  American  flag 
flies  over  a  ship  of  war,  and  the  pity  of  his  fate 
will  ever  be  among  the  most  moving  incidents  in 
American  history. 


283 


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